Oct 205 min read

Executive Functioning- What's that?

Executive functioning refers to a set of mental processes that allow individuals to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks effectively.

These skills are crucial for setting and achieving goals, whether in academics, work, or daily life. Think of executive functioning as the brain’s "air traffic control" system, coordinating thoughts, actions, and emotions just like a control tower manages planes landing and taking off on multiple runways.

Key executive functioning skills essential for success in school, work, and life include:

Planning/Prioritization
Organization
Time Management
Self-Monitoring
Task Initiation
Task Inhibition
Emotional Control
Flexibility
Working Memory
Attention Regulation
Metacognition

Developing Executive Functioning

The thing about executive functioning is that no one is born with these skills fully developed. They grow over time. Little kids aren’t great at impulse control or planning ahead—that’s totally normal. As they get older, they get better at it, but it takes time, and every child develops at their own pace.

Early Childhood (3-5 years): At this stage, kids are just learning how to follow simple instructions and start controlling impulses.

Elementary School (6-12 years): As they get a bit older, kids start getting better at organizing things, remembering instructions, and planning out tasks.

Adolescence (13-18 years): By the time they’re teens, they’re working on time management, self-monitoring, and emotional control—skills that are key as life gets more demanding.

For most individuals EF skills continue to develop into the mid 20's.

For kids that are neurodivergent (e.g., ADHD, autism, FASD, acquired brain injury, learning disability etc.), these skills might develop a little differently, and that’s okay. They may just need extra support to thrive.

What do these skills really mean?

Planning and Prioritization: This is all about setting goals and figuring out how to achieve them. For example, deciding which homework to start with based on when it is due and how difficult the task is.

Organization: This is the skill that would help you arrange and keep track of things. Whether it’s your backpack, your room, task completion, or even your ideas!

Time Management: Time management is all about knowing how to use your time wisely. For example, dividing your time between studying, going to practice, and relaxing.

Self-Monitoring: This is when you check in on yourself to see how you are doing and if you need to change your plan/actions. For example, looking over your math homework before turning it in to make sure everything looks alright or identifying if your current plan to compelte a task is working well.

Task Initation: We’ve all been there - putting something off we know we need to do. This skill is what helps you get started.

Task Inhibition: This is the ability to stay on task without getting distracted. For example, resisting the urge to check your phone while doing your homework.

Emotional Control: Ever have a moment where your emotions get the best of you? Emotional helps you manage those moments.

Flexibility: This means being able to adapt to new situations, dealing with change, seeing things from another perspective, and changing strategies

Working Memory: This skill helps you hold onto information in your mind and use it in the moment.

Attention Regulation: This is being able to focus on a person or task for a period of time. Including being able to avoid distractions and shifting your focus when needed.

Metacognition: Thinking about how you think! The skills that allows you to understand behaviour and how to proceed.

Review our Executive Functioning Tip sheet.

Want all of this information in one handy downloadable resource?

Click here to download!

This document provides tips and strategies for emotion regulation, environmental accommodations, supporting transitions, addressing learning concerns, and consequences.

Supporting Executive Functioning at Home

Create Routines: Daily routines provide structure. Whether it is a morning routine to get ready for school or an evening routine for winding down, this helps kids know what to expect and get used to some healthy habits.
Use Visuals and Checklists: Visual schedules or checklists can break tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps, making it easier to get started and stay organized.
Encourage Breaks: No one can focus for hours on end. Short breaks in between study session can help reset and stay productive.

Supporting Executive Functioning at School

Collaborating with Teachers: One of the best ways to support kids is by building a strong partnership with their teachers. Communicate regularly about what strategies are working at home and ask what’s being done in the classroom to support your child’s need.
Planners and Organizers: Providing students with planners, whether digital or physical, can help them keep track of assignments, projects, and tests.
Preferential Seating: Sometimes, where a child sits in the classroom makes a big difference in their ability to focus
Advocacy: Teach kids to speak up for themselves! Advocacy skills help children ask for what they need to succeed in the classroom.

Strengthen Emotion Regulation Skills

Emotional regulation is huge when it comes to executive functioning! When you can manage your emotions, you’re better equipped to stay focused, make thoughtful decisions, and complete tasks—even in tough situations. It’s like having the ability to pause, take a deep breath, and decide how to respond.

By working together—at home and in school—we can support children and teens as they develop these vital executive functioning skills. And the best part? These are the skills that will help them succeed not only now but throughout their entire lives.

Need help implementing these recommendations?

Our team at WonderTree is here to help. We have Executive Functioning Coaches that can support youth (and their parents) in developing executive functioning skills tailored to their individual needs and goals.

Book Recommendations

"Smart but Scattered" by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare - A practical guide for parents to help their kids improve organization, focus, and self-control through specific strategies and tools.
"The Explosive Child" by Ross W. Greene - Focuses on understanding challenging behavior in children and provides techniques to foster problem-solving and flexibility, which are key components of executive functioning.
"The Whole-Brain Child" by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson - Explains how different parts of a child’s brain work together, with strategies to help parents nurture executive function skills like planning, problem-solving, and impulse control.
"The Organized Child" by Richard Gallagher, Elana Spira, and Jennifer M. Rosenblatt - Offers a step-by-step program for parents to teach their children how to improve their organizational skills and develop habits for success in school and life.
"Raising an Organized Child" by Damon Korb - A developmental approach to teaching children how to become more organized and self-sufficient, broken down into age-appropriate strategies.
"The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens: Help for Unprepared, Late, and Scattered Teens" by Sharon A. Hansen- This workbook is designed specifically for teens, offering practical exercises and activities to help them develop crucial executive function skills like time management, organization, and self-control.
"Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention" by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare- This comprehensive guide offers evidence-based interventions for challenges like organization, time management, and emotional regulation.
"Executive Function Skills in the Classroom: Overcoming Barriers, Building Strategies" by Laurie Faith, Carol-Anne Bush, and Peg Dawson- This book is designed to help students overcome barriers related to executive functioning in the classroom. It provides clear, practical approaches to building skills like attention, self-regulation, and organization, which are crucial for student success.