Executive Functioning

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What is Executive Functioning?

Executive Function is described as ‘the CEO of the brain’, where mental skills consolidate to help us get things done.

When children struggle with these executive functioning skills, it has a direct impact on their learning. Many children have issues with processing information and executive functioning.

The three main areas of executive function are:

Working memory
Cognitive flexibility (also called flexible thinking)
Inhibitory control (which includes self-control)

Executive function is responsible for a number of skills, including:

Paying attention
Organising, planning and prioritising
Starting tasks and staying focused on them to completion
Understanding different points of view
Regulating emotions
Self-monitoring (keeping track of what you’re doing)

Executive function develops over time so children may struggle in different ways and at different stages.

In younger children, preschool to Year 2, executive function difficulties may present as:

Frustration
An inability to ask for help
Difficulty following directions
Frequent tantrums over minor things
Insistence on doing things in a particular way
Inattentiveness

For older children, executive functioning challenges may present as:

Difficulty to start a task and/ once started, a difficulty to complete the task
Easily distracted
Mixing up school assignments
Disorganisation such as bringing home the wrong books or resources
Messy desk and/or schoolbag
An inability to focus on the main idea of a discussion.

Source: @Pathway2Success1, 'Executive Functioning Challenges on a Daily Basis'

Source: Good Sensory Learning

Source: @mollys_adhd_mayhem, 'What is Executive Dysfunction'

Executive Dysfunction and Neurological Conditions

Often Autistic children and those with ADHD and/or learning difficulties have tremendous difficulties starting, planning and completing work and are likely to procrastinate to avoid tasks.

This can result in disruptive, challenging and avoidant behaviours and difficulty with emotional regulation which appears to be a behavioural issue, but in reality, is a neurological one.