Getting to the Bottom of Executive Function

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"Executive function" is the latest buzzword in education circles. Teachers, tutors and psychologists alike are emphasizing the importance of strengthening a child's executive function. This begs the question: what does it entail and how does it work?

What are executive functioning skills?

Executive functioning skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.

Just as an air traffic control system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of aircraft on multiple runways, the brain needs these skill sets to:

1. Pay attention
  • Avoid distractions and control impulsive responses.filter 
  • Focus our attention.
  • Set and achieve goals
2. Solve problems
  • Persist at seeking solutions after an initial attempt has failed.
  • Retain information in our brains.
  • Remember and follow instructions that involve multiple steps in a specified sequence.
3. Be flexible
  • Adjust when rules change.
  • Switch mental gears.
4. Perform academically
  • Prioritise tasks
  • Manage long-term assignments over time.
  • Plan and organize complicated projects.
  • Develop good study habits.

Executive function has three different dimensions:

1. Working memory

Working memory allows the child to hold and manipulate information in their minds over short periods of time.

Example: Remember and connect information from one paragraph to the next.

2. Inhibitory control

Inhibitory control helps the child  to filter thoughts and impulses as well as resist temptations and distractions. Inhibitory control makes it possible to be selective, to be focused, sustain attention, prioritise and then act accordingly.

Example: Children stop themselves from yelling at, or hitting a child who has inadvertently bumped into them.

3. Mental and cognitive flexibility

Mental Flexibility is the capacity to nimbly switch gears and adjust to changed demands, priorities or perspectives. This flexibility allows the child to apply different rules in different settings and to notice mistakes and fix them.

Example: When children are playing a game with peers and the rules of the game change, they must shift to the new rules to successfully continue.

Why is executive function important?

Executive function skills do not just appear in adulthood. They are built over time, starting in the first year of life, with more complex skills building on the simpler skills that came before.

Disruptions to the development of executive function can impact school- and learning readiness as well as social development.

Certain disorders, such as Autism, ADHD, Conduct disorder and Dyslexia are also associated with weak executive functioning skills.

If you suspect that you or a family member have low executive functioning skills, contact Biolink Attention Training Port Elizabeth today for an obligation free "FOCUS" assessment.






*Article originally published in"Developing Skills for School Readiness" by Biolink Attention Training (2018).




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