Executive Functioning: What it is and Why it Matters in School, College, and Career

According to Harvard's Center on the Developing Child, “executive function skills help us plan, focus attention, switch gears, and juggle tasks.” Simply put, executive functions are the brain’s project management system. A powerful visual metaphor for executive function is an orchestra conductor. Just like the conductor selects what music an orchestra will perform, how it will be interpreted, who will play what and when, and at what tempo, executive functioning allows people to activate awareness, plan, set goals, and get things done. 

Now think of a tween or teen. Imagine their brain as a reflection of their bedrooms. Just like dirty clothes and shoes are scattered about while random leftovers fester under the bed, student brains can be cluttered, consciously and subconsciously. One minute, a student might be studying for a test, the next, they wonder if they will get invited to Friday’s sleepover. Not surprisingly, with so many things vying for their cognitive attention, some students struggle with task initiation and execution.

Critically, executive functions are not just about academic performance; they also help shape students' self-beliefs. Students with strong executive functioning skills often have a more positive self-image and a stronger belief in their ability to control their own learning and academic outcomes. On the other hand, students with underdeveloped executive functioning skills may struggle with a poor self-image and a sense of hopelessness: about their academic ability, potential, and long-term goals. Understanding the role of executive functions can help parents and educators empathize with the challenges students face and empower them to support them in meaningful ways.

What Are the Executive Functions?

In summary, there are three main areas of executive function: working memory, cognitive flexibility (a.k.a. flexible thinking), and inhibitory control (which includes self-control). Practically speaking, within these three categories, there are between 9 and 12 discrete skills that typically develop between the ages of 13 and 25. Examples of these skills or executive functions include: task initiation and completion, planning and prioritizing, organization, time management, flexible thinking,self-care, emotional regulation and self-monitoring, the ability to understand different points of view, self-regulation (the ability to manage and organize thoughts and convert them into skills used for learning), and goal-directed persistence (a.k.a. grit).

How do I Know if My Child or Teen Has Weak Executive Function Skills? 

Ask Yourself These 14 Questions

1. Is your student underperforming relative to ability?

2. Does your student have difficulty initiating tasks?

3. Does your student struggle to complete tasks in a timely manner?

4. Does your student leave home unprepared for school, practice, or other activities? 

5. Does your student struggle to manage their time?

6. Does your student find it challenging to organize their thoughts?

7. Do you feel like you are managing your student’s academic life (i.e., you are operating like their pre-frontal cortex)?

8. Does your student struggle to follow directions?

9. Does your student struggle with multi-step instructions?

10. Does your student struggle to prioritize effectively?

11. Does your student often forget what they just read or heard?

12. Do you feel that you are constantly battling your student to do things that seem obvious and easy to you? 

13. Does your student struggle to switch from one task to another?

14. Does your student fixate on things and feel overly emotional?

Note: If this looks and sounds like ADHD, that’s because people with ADHD frequently also struggle with executive functioning. However, it is important to note that not all people with underdeveloped executive function skills have ADHD.

Ultimately, underdeveloped executive function skills can make it seem like students aren’t ‘working hard’ or ‘aren’t intelligent and/or capable.’ However, that is not the case. Rather, people who struggle with executive function issues may have to work significantly harder than others to achieve desired results. Over time, the additional effort required can be exhausting and discouraging, potentially resulting in burnout and/or capitulation. 

Executive functioning is critical for success at home, in school, in college, and in a career. Since research has shown the importance of acquiring the foundations of executive function skills in early childhood years (1), and we are witnessing increased struggles with executive function post-pandemic (2), it is more important than ever that students are explicitly taught these vital skills. Further research suggests that college students with ADHD should receive executive functioning intervention before college matriculation to increase their chances of academic success (3). Thus, we can infer that students without ADHD who exhibit similar executive function challenges should also receive such support. 

Students can and should be taught how to build executive functioning to promote self-directed learning and self-determined lives. To prepare students for success in school and college, it is common for students to work with executive function or academic coaches who are uniquely trained and qualified to help students build processes and develop these skills for long-term success. 

Click HERE for a list of strategies to bolster academic success.

Click HERE to learn about the research-based MindPrint BOOST executive function curriculum. 

For additional questions about executive functioning and how to help your student, feel free to contact me at kathy@fineeducationalsolutions.com.

References

Adele Diamond (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 8, 135-168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

(1) Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2011). Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function: Working Paper No. 11. 

(3) DuPaul, G. J., Gormley, M. J., Anastopoulos, A. D., Weyandt, L. L., Labban, J., Sass, A. J., … Postler, K. B. (2021). Academic Trajectories of College Students with and without ADHD: Predictors of Four-Year Outcomes. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 50(6), 828–843. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2020.1867990

(2) Perry KJ, Perhamus GR, Lent MC, Murray-Close D, Ostrov JM. The COVID-19 pandemic and measurement of preschoolers' executive functions. Psychol Assess. 2023 Nov;35(11):986-999. doi: 10.1037/pas0001250. PMID: 37902667; PMCID: PMC10683872.