What are executive functions? You may have heard this term before floating around the hallways of schools, parent-teacher interviews, or maybe even in the work environment. Although there has been much neuroscience, psychology, and education research on the topic, it is generally understood that executive functions are the higher order cognitive processes that allow us to plan, organize, problem-solve, and inhibit our behaviours.
That’s all well and good, but why should parents or guardians care? Strong executive functions are associated with better school performance and better quality of life. What’s interesting is that there has been research to suggest that we can foster the healthy growth of executive functions. More importantly, there is a wealth of knowledge about how to support youth with weak EF, which can be helpful to parents when supporting their children at home. For a glossary of executive functions terms, check out this EF Cheat Sheet.
If you think your child has difficulty with inhibition, getting started, planning, or getting organized, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Manage expectations: EF develop over the course of a lifetime. Most of the above mentioned skills are controlled by brain processes in the frontal region of the brain, which only fully develop by about age 25. This means that it’s important to know how much to expect from kids according to their age and to provide support when necessary. Check out this resource on EF development for more information.
- Model the behaviour: Model the behaviour you want from your child before you expect them to know what to do. For example, your child may not know how to get their school materials organized or how to plan their schedule. Show them explicitly and specifically what you want them to do.
- Scaffold: EF is a non-linear process and it is also unique to each student. If a student is not ready for a particular skill, they might need some supports. Some examples include using timers to improve task initiation and sustained attention, or using visuals to remind students to stop and think before acting out of turn or inappropriately in class.
- Fade: Once you feel that the student has internalized or mastered specific executive functioning skills, gradually take the supports away or allow for the opportunity for them to try learning without the supports that you had initially put into place.
Resources for parents & guardians:
For a comprehensive look at executive functions as they relate to everyday functioning, check out this resource by Understood.org.
Similarly, if you’re interested in specific activities to help promote the healthy development of executive functioning according to different developmental levels, Harvard University has compiled a list of different strategies to be used at home.
If you’re interested, keep an eye out for the follow-up post about how executive functions can be fostered in the classroom. Happy reading & be well!
Healthy Learning MTL 