WHY IT MATTERS

Executive function is a set of skills that help us plan, focus attention, recall information, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. The three important areas of executive function are working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control. These skills are crucial for learning and development. They help us make positive and healthy choices.

Children are not born with these skills and some require more support than others to help them develop them. They best learn these skills through establishing routines, modeling of social behavior, and engaging in activities that foster creative play. Executive dysfunction affects children’s ability to initiate tasks, regulate emotions/behaviors, and progress toward goals.

Executive dysfunction is widely misunderstood as laziness, a lack of motivation, and intentional misbehavior. If children do not receive recognition, accommodations, or support when they are struggling, they will often begin showing refusal to engage in school/with tasks. This can lead to secondary mental health struggles such as anxiety and depression. Occupational therapists are trained in task analysis which set them apart to be able to help your child develop these skills in functional ways that are meaningful and long lasting!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

• Struggling to get started on tasks (even more so with difficult/boring ones)

• Focusing too much on one thing or zoning out when they shouldn’t be

• Being easily distractible

• Struggling to switch between tasks

• Difficulty with impulse control

• Not understanding what is expected of them

• Difficulty knowing when to ask for help or that they are missing information