Executive Functioning Skills

Executive functioning skills are mental functions that help us manage everything that we do. Every thought, every action, and every goal we take part in require executive functions (EF). 

EF helps us complete multi-step plans and in real time help us make necessary changes or additions to the task. Our brain is jumping back and forth between these skills to keep us on track.

When I first learned about executive functioning, I quickly realized that these skills are not all-inclusive. Every book, website, and research article you read about EF will have different skills listed. So, the skills I am going to list below are not all-inclusive and are not in order. As stated above, we jump back and forth between these skills until we eventually reach task completion.

• Attention
  • Ability to attend to a task despite environmental distractions.

• Initiation
  • Starting the task with the ability to understand HOW to start it. Also, without procrastinating. 

• Emotional Regulation
  • Manage emotions and response in an appropriate way.

• Working Memory
  • The ability to hold and manipulate information over a short period of time
    • Remembering a phone number long enough to dial it.

• Planning & Organization
  • Creating and following a plan in order to meet a goal
    • Using a graphic organizer to help organize and plan your essay

• Inhibition
  • Ability to control impulses and delay gratification
    • Resisting the urge to talk in class, when we are supposed to be working on an assignment.

• Self-Monitoring
  • Ability to "check" oneself and monitor how we respond. 

• Task Monitoring
  • Ability to monitor how the task is going and if there needs to be any changes.

• Problems Solving
  • Ability to see that there is a problem and be able to figure out how it can be managed through change. 

• Shift
  • Ability to move between tasks.

• Cognitive Flexibility
  • Ability to change your thinking mid-task and adapt to a new way of thinking
    • You are holding a stylus and it isn't working, so you change the way you are holding it in order to write properly.

• Task Completion
  • You have used all your skills and have now completed the goal!

An important accommodation that can help everyone is to break down the task or as the OT's call it--> Task Analysis. 

• Breaking down the task into smaller, more manageable pieces help the process seem less overwhelming. 
• It can even assist with initiating the project all together.

Using timers, alarms/reminders, visual schedules, graphic organizers, planners, and calendars can really set the individual up for success!!

1. Assess strengths and limitations

2. Create a plan of care

3. Monitor for success and provide accommodations.