Understanding Executive Functions in Children

^{By Aimee Segars, M.A., LPC, NCC}

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It’s already starting out as a hectic day. For the third time this week you are scrambling to leave the house on time to get your kids to school and yourself to work.  You walk into your son’s room to find the contents of his backpack spread across the floor, and instead of putting on his shoes he is sitting on the edge of his bed reading a book.  You immediately feel your blood pressure start to rise as you shout across the room, “I’ve asked you three times already to get those shoes on and head to the car!  Let’s go!  We’re going to be late for school!”

For many parents, this is an all-too-familiar routine that happens across different settings over the course of the day.  Some caregivers may wonder how they ended up in a place like this, with so much disorganization, shouting, and chaos.  Others might recognize behaviors like poor time management, distractibility, difficulty with self-regulation, and poor impulse control and wonder how to get their child back on track.  The answer (and some possible solutions) maybe uncovered by taking a quick inventory of their child’s executive functioning skills.

What are executive functioning skills?  Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child tells us executive functioning is a set of life skills which prepare us to manage school/work, friendships, and family from early childhood well into adulthood.  They explain that kids are not born with these abilities but rather develop the foundations for them in the first few years of life.  Stressful situations, medical difficulties, and genetics can all negatively impact the development and effectiveness of executive functions.  The good news is our brains have neuroplasticity, so the brain can continue to create new pathways and rewire old ones as we present it with new ideas and experiences.  What does that mean in more simple terms? Our brains can still work to develop and refine executive functioning even if we had some difficulty in developing those skills in early on in life.

How can you recognize children with Executive Functioning challenges? Children’s Hospital of Orange County tells us these children may be impulsive, make frequent interruptions or lack a filter in conversation, have trouble staying on task or finishing tasks.  They may struggle with organization, appear to be lazy or avoid tasks which require sustained attention, and they may have difficulty regulating their emotions.  Homework or chores may end in a meltdown or tears or both.  These children may also require frequent prompts to remember things like backpacks, lunches, or items on a to-do list.

Now, some parents might be thinking that executive functioning sounds an awful lot like what they know as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.  And they would be right!  A leading expert in the field of ADHD, Dr. Russell Barkley, has said ADHD is a disorder of executive functioning.  To sum up this idea, as presented in his article titled, "The Important Role of Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation in ADHD,” ADHD is a disorder of self-regulation. Self-regulation involves using mental skills to control our actions and “manage ourselves effectively so as to attain our goals and see to our long-term welfare.”  This describes skills like delaying gratification, planning for future events, anticipating consequences, etc.  How does this all relate to teaching your son to put on his shoes and get out the door? If your child demonstrates some of the behaviors above, or you suspect ADHD (or he or she has been officially diagnosed) there are plenty of things you can try at home to foster self-regulation to get your child on the right track to successfully reach goals.  You can do that by taking a closer examination of the current challenges at home, and how those behaviors relate to executive functioning skills.

The following table lists several executive functions, describes what they look like when in-tact, and offers some strategies to make improvements on a day-to-day basis:

If it seems like your child may struggle in some of these areas, do not lose hope!   It is still possible for all humans to develop these skills in childhood, adolescence, and even adulthood.  There are many strategies parents can easily insert into daily routines to reinforce the development of executive functioning.  

·      Implement stable routines/schedules at home so children can learn to plan ahead

·      Increase the child’s movement/exercise as an outlet to relieve stress

·      Create opportunities for mindfulness throughout the day (i.e., a calming minute to just focus on the 5 senses in the present moment)

·      Encourage a growth-mindset

·      Create opportunities for the child to achieve success and build confidence

As a parent, if you still have concerns about your child’s behaviors, reach out to one of our Healing Minds licensed clinicians and see how we may be able to help navigate the road ahead and eliminate the chaos in your family!

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Aimee Segars, M.A., LPC, NCC is a Licensed Clinical Therapist at Healing Minds Behavioral Health, PLLC