Executive functions are the cornerstone for many of the behaviours we engage in on a daily basis. Planning a party, setting our short and long-term personal goals for example all engage our executive functions. Essentially any activity that activates our short or long term memory, anything that requires time-management, coordination of multiple actions, and decision making. According to experts, there are seven different executive functions contained within our mind; self-awareness, inhibition, short-term memory (sensory/spatial awareness), verbal working short-term memory, emotional regulation, motivational regulation and planning and problem solving.
We develop these skills as we grow, the first of the executive functions show up during our first year and we continue to build executive function skills well into our twenties and thirties. The takeaway:eExecutive functions are skills we continually develop. Many of us find we struggle with some executive functions; we experience difficulty starting a task, appear overly emotional, find it challenging to follow multiple steps in a task expressed verbally.. But, like many skills given time and perseverance we can develop and acquire many of these skills. Or we can build strategies.
Some individuals have been diagnosed with Executive dysfunction (EFD) /or ADHD indicates the individual finds one one or more executive function a challenge. In these situations there are many strategies that can be engaged in to help build an individual’s capacity. One example may be visual instructions/lists providing an opportunity for the individual to follow instructions without requiring them to engage in memory short-term retrieval and sequencing.
Many accommodations can be made to replace or support some of our executive functioning. However, executive functions are not learned in quick intervals, they take time, repetition and perseverance to develop, which is important to keep in mind as an individual who wishes to develop on their own executive functions or for parents who are hoping to aid their children in strengthening their executive functioning.
It may be helpful to seek professional help when challenges in executive functions are getting in the way of the goals you have for your future. A professional can help isolate which of the executive functions are getting in the way of your success and help co-construct a plan that includes strategies and/or accommodations to build upon these skills.
