Navigating Executive Functioning
Understanding Executive Functioning & How It Impacts Your Child
Many parents first hear about executive functioning when attending a school meeting or reviewing a neuropsychological evaluation summary. Often, they ask us in frustration, “Can you help John with Executive Function?” When we inquire about their knowledge of executive functioning, we’re frequently met with blank stares. So, what exactly are executive functions?
Executive functions are the brain’s self-management system, responsible for skills like:
- Initiation – Starting a task and taking action
- Impulse Control – Thinking before acting
- Emotional Control – Managing emotions in response to situations
- Flexible Thinking – Adapting to new ideas and problem-solving approaches
- Working Memory – Retaining and applying key information
- Planning & Prioritizing – Organizing tasks by importance and breaking them into steps
- Time Management – Understanding time flow and task completion
- Organization – Structuring thoughts and keeping materials in order
- Self-Monitoring – Evaluating one’s performance and progress toward goals
When children struggle with executive function skills, simple tasks can become overwhelming. A student who struggles with time management might eventually submit a great project—but only after significant stress and last-minute panic. When deficits exist in multiple executive functions, routine schoolwork can feel insurmountable.
A Real-Life Example: John’s Struggle with Executive Functioning
To better understand how executive functioning deficits impact daily life, consider this scenario:
John’s Classroom Challenge: Mrs. Bently wraps up her history lesson and writes the homework assignment on the board. John, distracted by thoughts of baseball practice, barely registers the announcement. As he leaves the classroom, he vaguely hears a reminder about the assignment but quickly dismisses it. Later at home, his mom asks about homework, and he confidently states that he has none. (Challenge: Working Memory)
Uncovering the Missing Assignments: John’s mom, skeptical, checks the school’s online system and discovers five missing assignments and a term paper due next Friday. John, caught off guard, lashes out in frustration, blaming the teacher. (Challenges: Working Memory, Self-Monitoring, Emotional Control)
Task Avoidance & Procrastination: Once calmer, John agrees to work on his term paper but stares at a blank screen for 30 minutes without typing a word. His mom steps in to help him outline the project and set a timeline. (Challenges: Initiation, Planning, Organization)
Avoiding the Work: Throughout the week, John continues to procrastinate, despite reminders. As the deadline approaches, his stress escalates into full-blown panic. (Challenges: Planning, Prioritizing, Emotional Control)
Last-Minute Crisis: The night before the paper is due, John scrambles to finalize it—only to realize the printer is out of ink. Frustrated, he gives up. His mom presents two solutions: email the teacher or print it at school the next morning. He chooses the former and heads to bed, relieved. (Challenges: Planning, Emotional Control, Problem-Solving)
For John’s mom, this cycle of stress, avoidance, and last-minute scrambling is exhausting and discouraging. Without strategies to strengthen executive function skills, this pattern will likely repeat itself with every long-term assignment.
Why Executive Functioning Strategies Matter
John’s story highlights how executive functioning affects almost every aspect of a child’s academic experience. Without these skills, school becomes a daily challenge. However, with structured support and practice, executive function strategies can become second nature.
How Parents Can Help Their Child Strengthen Executive Functioning
The most critical step is educating yourself and your child on executive functioning. Understanding that these struggles are not about laziness or lack of intelligence but rather about brain development can be a game-changer.
📘 Looking for expert guidance? Check out the Executive Functioning Parent Guide eBook for practical strategies to help your child develop these essential skills.
Practical Strategy #1: Build Awareness
- Learn about executive function skills and discuss them with your child.
- Help them identify personal strengths and weaknesses in executive functioning.
- Use real-life examples to explain challenges and how strategies can help.
When children and parents recognize that executive function challenges can be improved with the right techniques, stress levels decrease, and confidence increases.
More Support is Coming!
Stay tuned for executive function strategies every second and last Wednesday of the month on our blog.
📘 Need immediate help? Get the Executive Functioning Parent Guide eBook for step-by-step strategies you can implement today!
