If you’re a parent, you might have heard something of a scary term floating around on blogs, or from other sources. The term is “Executive Functioning.” You might have heard it associated with learning differences such as ADHD, or even as a catch-all term for any learning difference. Whatever the context in which you’ve heard about Executive Functioning, it probably raised a few questions in your mind, questions such as “what exactly is Executive Functioning?” “Does my child have it?” “What can I do to help them?” These are some of the questions we hear all the time from parents.

What Is It?

Broadly speaking, the term “Executive Functioning” refers to the processes in the brain that control memory, planning, and multi-tasking, as well as other important skills. Basically, it is the “management system of the brain.” In other words, every single person has “Executive Functioning. It is the set of skills that allows us to plan and control our lives. In fact, there are 12 skills that are commonly associated with Executive Functioning. They are listed in the figure below:

These are skills that every human being has in varying degrees. So when you wonder whether or not your child “has” Executive Functioning, the answer is: yes, and you do too! 

You might notice something that all of the above skills have in common: they are all very important in academic performance. In fact, Executive Functioning is often thought of as a fancy term for overall study skills. This is not entirely accurate. While it is true that many of the Executive Functioning skills tie in nicely to study skills (for example, working memory is crucial in the creation of flashcards,) it is overly simplistic to entirely equate the two. Executive Functioning skills are life skills. They help us organize and stay on top of our increasingly busy existences. They also happen to help students build good study habits. 

There is one other very important thing that Executive Functioning is not: a diagnosis. Just as Executive Functioning is often equated with study skills, it is also often thought of as a diagnosis for a child. You might hear it spoken of this way as an Executive Functioning “issue” or “disorder.”

Again, this is a little too simplistic. Students who struggle with ADHD, or other learning differences, certainly struggle to acquire Executive Functioning skills at the same rate as their peers. Indeed, ADHD and ADD are often marked by issues with self-regulation and self-control. Struggles with these two processes can be directly tied to struggles with various EF skills, including planning and time management. However, ADHD and ADD are the official diagnoses. Executive functioning refers to the processes which are affected by that diagnosis. A student who is not diagnosed with ADHD can certainly struggle with executive functioning. 

What Do You Need to Know

Now that we have a solid definition of executive functioning, there is one other aspect of executive functioning that is crucial to understand:

Every Child Needs Help with Their Executive Functioning.

Executive functioning is a term for processes in the brain. Since the brains of children are constantly growing and developing, so too are their executive functioning skills. This is why it is so important to remember that children who have not been diagnosed with a learning difference like ADHD can still struggle with executive functioning. Just like every child grows taller at a different pace, every child’s brain develops at a different pace as well. The executive functioning skills of a student can differ greatly from those of their peers, diagnosis non-withstanding!

However, this also brings hope! As we help our students develop their executive functioning, we are often aided by nature. As they grow up, the parts of their brain that handle the executive functioning skills become more developed. Therefore, if we set them up with good habits and a healthy environment, nature can do its work as well.

So how do we set them up with those habits and that healthy environment? Executive functioning interventions can take several forms. A few of them are shown by the figure below:

In the home, timing routines can be very helpful in building executive functioning skills. As students follow routines, they are training their brains to function within time routines and structures. Bedtimes, screen time limits, and dinner routines are all great opportunities to work on executive functioning in daily home life.

Academic coaching that is focused on executive functioning skills can also be helpful. Not only does organizational work like scheduling, and study skills practice like memorization specifically target executive functioning, it improves academic performance as well! That is one of the constant benefits of working on executive functioning: the improvements benefit the child’s life in so many ways.

Executive functioning is one of the most important things for a child to develop. Improvements they make in their organization and time management skills benefit them not only in their current academic setting, but in later grades as well, and indeed, in every aspect of their life. And the great news is, both they and you have the tools to help them.

Sources:

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/what-is-executive-function

https://chadd.org/about-adhd/executive-function-skills

https://childmind.org/article/helping-kids-who-struggle-with-executive-functions/

https://www.theladdermethod.com/blog/diagnosed-with-executive-functioning-now-what