Updated: August 26, 2024
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Today, we’re digging into executive functions and why they matter to students (and adults).
By the end of this article, you’ll understand the core executive function skills that impact school success and learn practical steps to help your students develop these skills.
Ready to learn?
Why do executive functions matter?
Executive functions are crucial for managing school tasks and overall life success. Peer-reviewed research by Dr. Adele Diamond shows that strong executive function skills are primary indicators of school success and quality of life.
In school, students with good executive function skills are more likely to:
Complete assignments;
Prepare for and perform well on tests;
And stay regulated when challenging situations arise;
The effects of better executive function skills like self-control have a long-ranging impact on student success, as demonstrated in a study published in the Journal of Developmental Psychology, titled, "Self-control in early childhood predicts success in the transition to adulthood."
Children with better self-control were more likely to graduate on time and attend college;
I've chosen to focus on a smaller subset for this article because executive function skills encompass a wide range of valuable skills throughout our lives.
But first, what would life be like without EF skills?
What would life be like without executive function skills?
Can you imagine flying in or out of an airport without an air traffic controller?
It would be chaos. 🙀
Planes from different parts of the world could not coordinate safely and effectively without the guidance of a skilled air traffic controller.
Your executive function IS the air traffic controller in your brain.
It allows vital tasks like eating, sleeping, and breathing to operate automatically while selectively admitting other priorities as you navigate your daily experience.
When the executive function is damaged or executive functioning skills are underdeveloped, your "internal airport" can be chaotic.
Fortunately, by learning about executive function skills, you can build functional systems that allow things to run smoothly and efficiently.
If you want to dive deeper into the topic, check out this video by my colleague, Emma McAdam, to understand what causes executive dysfunction and how it impacts our lives 👇
What are executive functions?
The executive functions are a set of cognitive processes required for managing behaviors.
Like the air traffic controller example above, your executive functions work together to attain selected goals, even while the external conditions of your environment change and challenge you.
Executive function involves:
Working memory,
Inhibitory control,
cognitive inhibition,
attentional control,
and cognitive flexibility.
Let's define those so you have a better understanding of how they impact your life.
What is working memory and how does it relate to executive function?
Working memory is a brain-based system that allows you to hold a limited amount of information in mind and execute cognitive tasks.
When we hold multiple pieces of information in our minds, we can then "play" with this information to create new mental models or solve problems (think 10 + 10 divided by 2...can you solve this without a calculator?).
Using a computer as an analogy, working memory is the "copy/paste" function of your brain, while long-term memory is like everything stored on your hard drive.
Many students with diagnosed ADHD have documented struggles with working memory which is why executive function coaches teach students to "externalize their brains" through planning and organization systems.
What is inhibitory control?
Inhibitory control regulate our urges by slowing our impulse to act, while leveraging logic and attention to respond in an appropriate manner. Think "respond" rather than "react".
When students struggle with inhibitory control, instead of homework, they will often gravitate toward things like:
Watching Mr. Beast on YouTube
Playing Call of Duty on Xbox
Browsing social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram
Texting or chatting with friends
Playing mobile games like Among Us or Fortnite
While there is nothing wrong with a bit of play and unstructured time, it does become a problem when students cannot set limits or "inhibit" themselves from engaging in these behaviors when real-life deadlines are looming.
What is cognitive inhibition?
Cognitive inhibition is our mental ability to ignore stimuli that are unrelated to a prioritized objective.
Many students struggle to keep out unwanted thoughts, thus distracting them from their homework or other cognitively demanding tasks.
When students learn that managing their thoughts is a skill they can develop, it can be very helpful for their executive function skills and mental health.
What is attention control?
Attentional control is the ability to focus on relevant information while ignoring distractions.
This phenomena is often represented in the ADHD support community by the phrase "squirrel" which references the challenges individuals with ADHD have in regulating their attention.
What is cognitive flexibility?
Cognitive flexibility, also known as mental flexibility, can help us adjust our thinking and perception in relation to the environment and conditions around it, rather than holding rigid patterns of belief.
A lack of cognitive flexibility is often most apparent in individuals with autism, who may appear rigid when asked to diverge from their normal routines.
Perhaps the best way to understand cognitive flexiblity is by noticing what it isn't.
Where do executive functions reside in the brain? 🧠
These cognitive processes are mainly housed in the front lobe (aka, the new kid on the block in terms of brain development). The frontal lobe is also slow to develop -- it doesn't fully develop until age 25.
The frontal lobe is what makes us uniquely human in that it allows us to visualize and plan for a reality that does not currently exist.
Without the frontal lobe, it would be a struggle to plan for major transitions such as:
Finding a college
Living independently
Choosing a career
Getting married
Planning for retirement
Executive function skills develop and grow over our life span and can be improved at any time through practice and repetition of research-based strategies (they can also be impaired at any time).
How are executive functioning skills measured?
To measure executive function abilities, neuropsychological tests such as the Stroop test and rating scales like the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) are used.
These tests can be administered by a neuropsychologist or school psychologist, as part of a larger battery of tests used to measure a range of cognitive skills.
If you want to evaluate your own executive functioning skills or those of your children, you can use Dr. Peg Dawson's and Richard Guare's free inventory which can be found here.
Want to take learn more executive function skills from Dr. Peg Dawson?
Click here to check out our series of Masterclasses with Dr. Peg Dawson in which she teaches parents and educators:
What executive function skills are
How they develop in elementary students and teens
What parents and educators can do to support EF skills
Check out what people say about this course 👇
Now that you know what the executive functions are, it's time to explore what different executive functioning skills there are and how they allow us to complete tasks, manage responsibilities, and play well with others.
So what are executive functioning skills?
A (somewhat) easy way to remember key executive function skills is to use the P.O.S.I.T.I.V.E. acronym:
Planning
Organization
Self (management, awareness, regulation, control, advocacy)
Initiation
Time management
Inhibition
Vision and goal setting
Evaluating priorities
Executive functions play a critical role in managing both day to day tasks, emotional control, as well as planning into the future.
Let's go through each of those areas in the P.O.S.I.T.I.V.E. acronym to explore how they impacts a student's everyday life.
If you prefer to watch a video, check out my YouTube video on this topic 👇
What are planning skills?
Choosing when to focus on homework assignments
Picking out a college based on career goals
Coordinating with teachers to get additional assistance
Registering early for classes
What are organization skills?
Having materials organized (both physical and digital)
Keeping track of key items (backpack, keys, phone) in places that can be easily retrieved
Arranging information in coherent structures (essays & presentations)
What are self (management, awareness, regulation, control, advocacy) skills?
Maintaining hygienic routines (self-management)
Communicating needs to others in an assertive manner (self-advocacy)
Monitoring tone of voice and entering conversations appropriately (self-awareness)
Considering mental health needs and acting accordingly
What are task initiation skills?
The ability to begin a challenging task
Pressing "send" on an email
Speaking to a teacher about a question or concern
What are time management skills?
Planning in time for travel
Turning in homework at expected deadlines
Accurately estimating time spans for tasks, assignments and projects
What are inhibition skills?
Doing what is needed to be done (not what is easy)
Putting down Youtube to work on homework
Staying home to do homework (even when there is a party you could attend)
What is vision and goal setting?
Imagining what life could look like in 2, 5 or 10 years
Writing out goals
Refining one's vision over time
What does it mean to evaluate priorities?
Considering all options of how to spend time, then choosing tasks and activities most aligned with larger vision
Considering the impact of one course of action over another
Asking for feedback from trusted advisors or teachers on a chosen process
Using flexible thinking to adjust one's approach
As you can imagine, the stronger one's executive functioning skills are, the more options and opportunities they will have throughout life.
Without them, we are in trouble of living an erratic existence that is swept away by day to day needs, rather than a long-term vision.
Who has trouble developing EF skills?
A lack of EF skills can often have negative mental health repercussions, so it is important to consider how kids with ADHD will acquire these skills as part of their education.
School is essentially one big executive function experience. Switching between subjects, locations and teachers demand SO much of the executive functions, and for kids with ADHD, they often get cognitively overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted.
What do students with ADHD often struggle with?
Kids with ADHD often have difficulty with:
Remembering to complete tasks
Managing their school portals
Submitting assignments
Regulating their emotions (emotional control)
Remembering required materials for class
Refraining from blurting out
Stay engaged (or awake) when bored
Following directions
Problem solving with peers
Self monitoring progress toward goals
Flexible thinking
This explains why they often have trouble with self-regulation—when the demands outweigh the capacity to manage, kids are bound to display undesirable behaviors.
Research shows that ADHD has the greatest negative impact on school outcomes, which is why learning strategies to address EF deficits in young kids is so critical.
Other related disabilities that impact EF skills include:
Autism
Traumatic brain injury
Addiction issues
Central nervous system disorders
Because of all the challenges related having an executive function impairment, many kids also lack self control because of the repeated experience of failure.
This makes learning strategies for regulating behaviors and addressing deficits very important.
How can I help my child develop these skills?
One thing to remember is that EF skills are just that -- skills.
Skills can be taught so it's important for parents to not lose hope when "D"s and "F"s appear on the report card and the missing assignments seem endless.
The first thing you can do to help your kid develop these skills is to stop doing everything for them. Let them struggle a little bit and offer support and guidance without doing things for them.
Every day there are endless opportunities to strengthen their cognitive skills. Here are just a few examples...
How to develop EF skills when helping with homework
If they are doing homework, you can enhance their self monitoring skills by asking questions like:
What task do you think you do next?
How do you know that?
Where do you think you could confirm you are correct?
What happens when you Google that?
Or, if you are planning a trip or an activity, involve them!
Use open ended questions like:
What would you like to do on this trip?
What would you like for dinner?
Instead of organizing their room for them, use open ended questions to guide them through a process of organizing:
Where do you think these books should go?
How can organize your clothes?
What life skills activities can improve EF skills?
Teach them how do daily living activities such as:
Folding laundry
Washing dishes
Washing laundry
Cleaning up their areas
Making their bed
Buying groceries
If they are struggling with self regulation, ask questions like:
How are you feeling right now?
Where do you feel that emotion in your body?
Learning the skills with the guidance of a helpful and experienced adult will make the transition to adulthood much more manageable. This is known as challenging them to grow within their zone of proximal development.
Another way to develop EF skills is through play and rhythmic movement. When students engage in role-playing games or board games (chess, Dungeons & Dragons, Monopoly) they learn many skills that can be transferable to school such as:
Problem solving
Weighing options
Flexible thinking
Emotional control
Accounting for resources
Developing executive function skills involves support from parents, teachers, coaches, therapists and other professionals and you can always start early.
For example, in the morning, I have my 3 year old daughter help me clear the table, prepare her lunch, and put away dishes and silverware.
When parenting, instead of using "always" and "never" statements to describe your child, ask yourself, "What skill do they need to learn?"
Give them very specific directions like, "Open up your computer and begin writing your outline for your essay on gothic literature," rather than saying, "Do your homework."
Additionally, understanding how patterns of development are different for children with ADHD is important.
Young people with ADHD often lag behind their peers in emotional control, making it more difficult to manage social relationships.
They may be more likely to engage in patterns of behavior that get them in trouble.
Consider all these factors and avoid nagging, exploding or begging, but rather showing up as firm, no-nonsense nurturer in their lives. It may help to join an ADHD Parent Support Group to connect with other parents who are working on the same things.
You can find many helpful professionals in our professional directory.
How can executive functioning coaching help?
You can also find your child an executive function coach to support the development of these skills.
When looking for a coach, use this guide to ask the right questions to make sure you find a coach that is a good match for your families needs. This guide will answer commonly asked questions like:
Where can I find a coach?
How much does an executive function coach cost?
What do executive function coaches help students with?
Executive function coaches can:
Teach them how to navigate school portals
Write emails to their teachers
Use Google calendar
Apply for jobs
Break down large assignments into manageable chunks
Learn how to request accommodations
Write an outline for an essay
Apply to college
To learn more about working with an executive function coach, you can also ask your pediatric doctor, child psychologist, or local therapist for recommendations.
If you are interested in becoming an executive function coach, check out the Executive Function Coaching Academy to learn more.
Do adults need help with executive functioning?
While children and students benefit from improving their EF skills, adults can also benefit from working on their executive function skills.
Many adults struggle with the same things students do which include:
Future planning
Regulating challenging emotions
Stress management
Raising children
Having an organization plan for work or home life
Difficulty with planning free time
Adults can benefit from executive function coaching by learning how to:
Track and respond to emails
Communicate their needs to their colleagues and superiors
Break large projets into manageable chunks
Manage challenging emotions
Focus for extended periods of time
Many work places will provide accommodations for adults with ADHD to work with a coach if ADHD is impacting one's ability to complete work.
Check with your HR representative if you feel this is the case and see what your company offers.
To learn more about how executive function coaching can help in the workplace, check out UpSkill Specialists, a coaching company focused on helping adults to develop enhanced EF skills.
Conclusion
Developing strong executive function skills is crucial for success both in school and in life.
In fact, that's why we made our motto at EF Specialists, "the key to your future."
As a parent or educator foresting these skills, try these steps with your students or children today:
Establish a daily routine where your child identifies their MITs (Most Important Tasks)
Walk your child through a self-assessment to evaluate their current EF skills.
Create a daily reflection with your student to evaluate what went well and what they could improve tomorrow.
Have your student write out their dream schedule for the week that includes time for their priorities and responsibilities.
Build a team around your student and harness the power of collective efficacy.
Hope this helps 🤙🏻
Sean
P.S. These are skills that executive function coaches work on with their students. If you want to try working on them with your students, consider joining hundreds of other educators and parents who have completed my Semester Success Blueprint Course. In less than 2 hours, this comprehensive course will teach you and your student the system I developed to help hundreds of students learn how to manage school effectively and raise their self-awareness and engagement with school.
About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.