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Executive Functioning: The Skills We Need to Get Stuff Done

Proven and Effective Interventions to Enhance Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents



3 Key Concepts about Executive Skills

1

Brain-based Skills

What they are: brain-based skills that take a minimum of 25-30 years to reach full maturation.

2

Surrogate Frontal Lobes

Until these skills are fully mature, it's the job of parents and teachers (and adults who work with kids) to act as surrogate frontal lobes.

3

Skill Development

It is also the job of parents, teachers, etc. to ensure that kids grow their own executive skills.

- Dr. Peq Dawson

Published: September 15, 2008

The Child's Developing Brain

Different areas of the brain mature at different rates, which helps explain many of the intellectual and emotional changes seen in children, teens and young adults. While no two children develop in exacty the same way, scientists have been able to link certain developmental milestones to changes in brain tissue, observed by MRI scans taken repears.

What Impacts our Executive Skills?

Neurodiversity

  • ASD
  • ADHD
  • Tourette's
  • OCD
  • FASD
  • Learning Disabilities
  • PTSD

Medical Conditions

  • Trauma
  • Depression
  • Epilepsy
  • Cancer Treatments
  • Brain tumors
  • Stroke

Environmental Factors

  • Poverty
  • Infections
  • Concussions
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Addiction

Lifestyle Factors

  • Nutrition
  • Sleep

Executive Skills (ES) that Underlie School Success

Foundational Skills

  • Response Inhibition
  • Working Memory
  • Emotional Control
  • Flexibility
  • Sustained Attention
  • Task Initiation

Advanced Skills

  • Planning/Prioritizing
  • Organization
  • Time Management
  • Goal-Directed Persistence
  • Metacognition

Complete the ES Questionnaire

Click on this link to access the Executive function questionnaire:

1

Choose a Strength

Choose one of your executive skill strengths (higher score).

Talk about how that helps you do your job.

2

Choose a Challenge

Choose one of your executive skill challenges (lower score).

Talk about how affects how you do your job.

3

Reflect

How did you learn these skills?

Learn More About Executive Functional Skills

For more information about Executive Functioning Skills, please click on the link below or scan the QR code: