Imagine this … you are an elementary-aged child and your teacher just gave you a big project. You have no idea what she is talking about or how or where to start. You struggle with asking for help and are known as “the quiet student”. You feel overwhelmed by the project and shut down. On the day it is due, you turn in a small portion of it and you get questioned by your teacher. You aren’t really sure why it is not complete and therefore you cannot explain this to her.
This is just one of the many scenarios that could describe a child who has executive functioning challenges. Hi, I am Chelsea. I have been a pediatric speech-language pathologist since 2015. I love executive functioning (even though I did not know what it was at the beginning of my career). I know that this topic can apply to all children and there is something here for everyone – I think that is why I like it so much! Here, I will explain what it is and in the next post, I will help you create a supportive environment for successful executive functioning skill development.
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Background
When I first heard the term executive functioning, I really did not know what it meant. I heard it tossed around in several different contexts, where things like attention and memory were mentioned. Still, I was unsure about it and how it fit into my practice as an SLP.
Fast forward to my early days working at the hospital. We were required to attend a monthly staff meeting that included the entire rehab department. At this meeting, all of the “executive c suite team” members would share a piece of hospital information that was related to their domain… Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, and so on.
The first few times this happened, I remember thinking “these are the executive functions of the hospital” … they oversee all of the goings on, delegate tasks to those below, manage the bigger picture and timeframes, problem-solve any challenges that arise, initiate changes, and more.
Our brains have their own inner c suite team members that drive all of our cognitive processes. Instead of chiefs of operations, finances, and nursing – like those in the hospital – our brain’s c suite includes:
- Organizing & planning
- Emotions & reactions
- Task orientation
Within each of these areas, there are multiple sub-areas that we will delve into below. Before we dive into all of the specifics, let’s talk a little bit more about why this is important. Because if you are a parent, you may be thinking … this is a whole lot of technical mumbo jumbo that has no relevance to me. And, really, I wouldn’t blame you!!
But, bear with me, because this is written for parents to help them understand why their child:
- Won’t stop screaming every time they get scared
- Forgets to take out the trash each night
- Leaves their folder at school
- Does not keep their room clean
- Needs told how to complete each step of a familiar routine
- Struggles to problem-solve simple problems
- Gets upset when they are told it is time to be done with a preferred task
- And a whole lot more…
This is also written for parents of kids who have already been diagnosed with (or are suspected to have) ADHD, Autism, Sensory Integration Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Auditory Processing Disorder, Executive Functioning Deficits, and more.
If any of this resonates with you, keep reading.
What is Executive Functioning
As we know, children’s brains are still developing. I talk about this in almost every single post I have written thus far. As a pediatric therapist, that is what I am trained to do – assess if a child has a delay or disorder that is outside the realm of normal.
So, guess what I learned in every single class (and nearly every single continuing education course) I have ever taken? Normal. Every teacher would say “in order to understand what is not normal, you must first understand what is normal”.
Therefore, we must understand that children, by their very nature, have impaired executive functioning skills as compared to adults. They do not move as fast as we would like; they make a lot of mistakes; they lack the skills necessary to manage their sensory systems, emotions, and complete a variety of tasks; they are forgetful; and the list goes on.
Children who are neurodivergent may lack the skills to a greater degree than typically developing children.
Regardless, children have to learn these skills. And they learn them by observing, imitating, practicing, and correcting. When they are given the opportunity to practice in a supportive environment that includes reflection and teaching, they will be much more likely to develop EF skills more effectively and efficiently.
I want to help you understand how you can provide a supportive learning environment that helps you help your child develop solid EF skills (in the next post of this series). The good news is that I will provide you with information that can be applied right away! No need for any fancy supplies or materials, just your natural, daily environment, and the desire to slow down, practice, and reflect.
But for now, we’ll focus on each individual area of EF!
Organizing & Planning
Most of the sub-categories here are fairly well understood concepts, so I will not provide too much detail.
Organization
The act of sorting things according to their order, category, association, and more. These may be tangible or intangible items and often require some sort of external device (e.g. storage bin, planner, computer) in order to do so.
I found this quote during some research for this post, and I love it. “The mess outside your body creates a mess inside your mind.” – Marydee Sklar.
Time management
Understanding time, passage of time, ordering/sequencing, inferring how much time to expect a task to take, and paying attention to these parameters as you complete a task.
Sustained attention
Similarly to time management, being able to stay focused on a task is necessary for task completion. This includes persevering through challenges and inhibiting distractions as they arise.
Working memory
This one is my absolute favorite. I have clear memories of the first time I learned about this concept, and I will continue to share the analogy I learned to illustrate it.
Think of a tool bench. This is the place where things come and go based on the project. You may have a few different tools, some materials, and instructions for a specific project. You step away from the bench to grab something and return to it, where your other materials are resting. You grab them as you need them and perform their contributing function to the project.
Now, apply that to your brain. You need to call and order a pizza. Your working memory holds onto the idea “pizza” while you locate your tool (your phone) and look up the number. You do this on your smart phone so you just click “call” which decreases the work load of your working memory (not having to remember the actual phone number). You listen to all the specials, writing down some quick notes (lg 1 top $10.99, 2 md 2 top $7.99 each, lg 3 top + breadsticks $15.99). You hang up, review the specials options with your spouse, revisiting another tool, your shorthand note, which you decode easily. You make the decision, call back, and rehearse what you want in your head a time or two while you wait so you don’t forget. And you are eating your favorite pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza plus breadsticks within 30 minutes!
Thank you, working memory, for helping me organize and implement my tools for success.
Task Orientation
This sub-group of skills is very related to organization, but it differs in that it is task-specific. But, you will see as you read about each item, that they co-affect each other. We need organization within each task and we need the ability to complete the task of organization.
Planning
This is the ability to break down a task into smaller parts and determine the correct order in which they need to be completed.
Prioritization
Once the task has been broken down, we need to be able to prioritize the steps. That is, determine which steps need to be completed in a certain order, which can wait, and specific timeframes of each. This relies heavily both on time management and inhibition (other EF skills).
Task initiation
After we plan and prioritize the steps of a task, we cannot stay in analysis paralysis, but rather, we need to then start the task! Often, many people get stuck here. There are a number of reasons, some of which are emotional in nature (anxiety or fear) and others are cognitive in nature (lacking a clear plan or prioritization), however, these are not the only reasons why initiation is challenging.
Task completion
We also need to finish the task. This often requires some problem-solving, if problems arise; persistence despite difficulties or lengthy tasks; and clear vision of the steps, but cognitive flexibility if the task does not go as planned.
Emotions & Reactions
Metacognition
“Meta” means thinking about. So, metacognition essentially means thinking about thinking. Seems like a lot of thinking, right?! 😉
Basically, this is the ability to understand our own thoughts and have awareness of how our thoughts are related to our behavior. If you think back to our behavior series, you will remember I talked about behavior starting as a response to something (antecedent) and this can be external or internal. Therefore, we react to something in our environment or within our own mind. This can be as simple as “I am hungry” so I know I need to go to the kitchen for a snack.
Many of the things we do each day are this simple, however, many children who are developing these skills and/or children who are neurodivergent, may experience difficulties. They might not be able to understand their feelings, thoughts, or their environment; nor may they have the skills to react appropriately. Hence the need for this post series- to help you understand how to teach these skills.
Inhibition
Inhibition is learning how to stop. In the world we live in, we are trained to go, but learning how to stop is just as (or more) important. Think about some real life situations where stopping is important … when we want to hit someone or something, when we are walking near the road and there is a car coming, or when we feel the desire to eat an entire pail of ice cream.
The act of stopping has a major impact on the outcome of our actions.
Emotional regulation
Our emotions are very much so tied to our thoughts and our behaviors. Learning how to regulate them directly affects how we are able to keep going even in the presence of emotional responses.
Emotions are ok. Learning how to feel them helps us regulate ourselves and persist on, regardless. So often, we are quick to dismiss our own or others’ feelings because we want everyone to “be happy”. We are especially guilty of doing this to children… if I had a dime for every time I have heard a parent say “you are ok” to a child, I could retire early.
We have all heard the popular phrase “it is ok to not be ok”. But yet, this doesn’t apply to the most vulnerable people – children. Us adults are allowed to not be ok, but as soon as a child cries, screams, whines, is upset with a friend, doesn’t like their popsicle color, etc, they are expected to be “ok”.
One of the big reasons children struggle with EF skills is because they struggle with emotional regulation. A regulated child is a (*somewhat*) rational child. Help them regulate first and foremost, and many of the other skills will follow.
Cognitive flexibility
As it sounds, being able to be flexible with our thoughts. This may include seeing multiple sides of a social situation, seeing multiple ways of completing a task, or even adapting to an unannounced change in the environment.
Now that we have an understanding of what executive functioning is, we will dive deeper into what it looks like in real life and how we can provide the supportive environment I talked about at the beginning of this post. Check out the next parts of this series to learn more.
References:
Executive Functioning Success (2025). Retrieved from: https://executivefunctioningsuccess.com/12-executive-functions-of-the-brain/
Cover photo and Pinterest images obtained from Canva: Alexandra_Koch from pixabay, Leeloo The First from Pexels, Canva AI Elements Labl with AI, Kamil Čičila from Pexels, Karola G from Pexels, Tetiana Nekrasova from capturenow, Tara Winstead from Pexels
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