Executive functioning is a term that encompasses a wide range of cognitive skills that we rely on day-to-day. It is a hot topic that parents will often hear if their child is struggling at school but the concept is not always fully understood. The purpose of this blog is to help shed light on what executive functioning means, why it matters, and what can be done to help children with deficits in executive functioning.

What does it mean?

Executive functions are the tools needed for people to plan ahead, initiate tasks, remember, prioritize, monitor their own behavior, complete tasks, and achieve goals. These tools are critical for most activities we undertake, unless they are autonomous (i.e., subconscious) like breathing. Many non-neurotypical people struggle with executive functioning tasks. Overall, executive functions can be divided into three areas:

• Working memory: the ability to hold information in mind, do something with it, and remember it later.
• Cognitive flexibility: the ability to change the way we think about things to arrive at a variety of different solutions and perspectives (i.e., have flexible thinking).
• Inhibitory control: the ability to focus, control impulses, and monitor behavior.

Types of executive functions

There are many theories out there about executive functions but most researchers agree that they fall into seven categories.

1. Self-awareness

The ability to be aware of what you are doing, focus, and monitor your own behavior.

2. Inhibition

The ability to control impulses and think before acting.

3. Nonverbal working memory

This reflects the ability to hold images in mind (i.e., visual memory) and impacts awareness of time.

4. Verbal working memory

The ability to hold an amount of orally presented information in mind, manipulate it, and recall it later.

5. Emotional regulation

The ability to regulate one’s emotional state throughout a range of situations.

6. Motivational regulation

This reflects intrinsic motivation, the ability to initiate tasks,

7. Planning and problem-solving

This refers to how someone uses information to solve problems and determine courses of action.

Why does it matter?

All of the categories reviewed above are crucial for effective functioning in every day life. Everyone is constantly in situations that require the execution of sound executive functioning. When someone struggles with one or more executive functions, they are more likely to have difficulties across settings (i.e., school, home, work, social). Many individuals are diagnosed with conditions that are known to have significant executive functioning deficits, two of which are ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.

Deficits in executive functioning are also known as executive dysfunction. It can be hard for neurotypical people to understand the difficulties faced by others with executive dysfunction because neurotypical people are able to execute seemingly simple tasks requiring executive function with ease. In other words, it can be hard to understand what you do not personally experience. Even if you experience executive dysfunction, your difficulties may look different from someone else’s. It is crucial to make your child feel seen and understood without putting your personal expectations and abilities on them. Be compassionate.

Furthermore, executive functioning deficits put a strain on parent-child dynamics. The difficulty understanding each other and the differences in task execution cause people to butt heads and creates conflict. Parents worry about their children’s academic performance, task completion, room organization, and many other things. Children feel they cannot meet their parents’ expectations and are only going to repeatedly disappoint them. Understanding these deficits will help you identify them, understand others, and provide you with the knowledge to help your child more.

Summary

This is the first part of a three part series on executive functioning designed to help parents and others that work with children with executive functioning deficits. Executive functioning is a term that is widely used across settings to describe the skills needed to perform cognitive tasks that are not done automatically. These skills influence our execution of daily to complex tasks. Deficits in executive functioning result in difficulties completing tasks that neurotypical people may finish with ease. Understanding what executive functions are provides the foundation needed to identify and understand executive dysfunction when you see it and to provide assistance to children who need it. Stay tuned for part two of this series which will outline how executive dysfunction can present.