By Kat Marsh, M.Ed.
Executive functions are a collection of mental processes that guide our everyday actions and help us plan for the future. Think of them as the characteristics and behaviors a person in charge of running a company would need to succeed. Some executive functions help us pay attention and remember details, others help us organize our thoughts or the physical space we live in, still others help us figure out the best way to solve problems or plan what we should do next. Researchers are trying to sort out and define executive functions with names such as metacognition (thinking about thinking), working memory (visual or verbal information we hold onto while we’re making decisions), response inhibition (holding back unfruitful reactions), and task initiation (getting started on non-preferred tasks). Some figure we have eight or ten distinguishable executive functions. Others suggest there could be more than thirty. Although all executive functions interact and some overlap, we can make sense out of most executive functions by categorizing similar ones together into four groups:
Group one is what I call the STP Group: Space, Time, and Planning.
This group has to do with keeping physical space organized, having a sense of the sweep of time, and planning that has to do with time management. Caution: organized space can look messy to another person. The key factor is whether the organizer can work effectively in the space. For children, these spaces are typically their homework space, backpack, and locker. If your child’s spaces look messy, but they know where everything is and can find things they need, then they have some kind of organization scheme that makes sense to them. Sensing the sweep of time means being accurate when estimating how much time a task will take, and as you work, gauging whether you need to speed up to finish.
Group two is the Get Up and Go Group.
This group has to do with getting started on your work, keeping your attention focused on the work, and sticking with a goal that you work at little by little, like saving up money over several weeks to buy a toy or game.
Group Three is the Hold On! Group.
This group has to do with holding back knee-jerk responses and being aware of when your emotions are getting out of control so you can pause and calm down.
Group Four is the Problem-Solving Group.
This group manages your working memory, your ability to think flexibly, and your ability to step back and look at your overall progress. Executive functions can be assessed using both formal and informal methods. Formal assessments were designed for clinical use with adults and test language, memory, and motor skills. Informal assessments were designed to uncover information about naturally occurring behavior in an everyday environment. With formal methods some tests to measure one executive function can mask other executive functions. For example, test items are often presented in brief groupings that may mask sustained attentional issues.
Informal assessments can be used to supplement formal assessments, and are often preferred because they may reveal more about how your child functions in everyday life. Two components of the assessment process are important to consider: standardized behavior rating scales and classroom observations. Parents, teachers, and sometimes the child, can be interviewed, or can fill out a structured interview form for behavior rating scales which provide a statistically-normed comparison to highlight areas of concern. They gauge how well your child’s environment and behaviors may be contributing to struggles with executive functions and can be a starting point for developing interventions.
Classroom observations, conducted by a trained observer, can provide more objective views of your child in the context of the demanding environment of the classroom. Observations can be reviewed to select interventions that will be most effective for your child in different types of classroom situations. For example, your child may need more guidance during less structured times like gym or lunch.
Executive function assessments will generally provide information on attention, working memory, organization, concept formation, and flexible thinking.
A child’s ability to pay attention impacts all areas of learning—not only academic, but physical and social areas as well. Some childhood daydreaming is to be expected, but moderate inattention may impact your child’s success when teachers are giving instructions or when chatting or playing with peers.
A child’s ability to hold back from automatic responses, or pause briefly to think before acting is tied to self-control. Although self-control takes time to develop, it is important when children must assess a new situation and consider the correct or most effective way to respond.
Working memory makes it possible to hold onto information temporarily in order to put it to use. If a teacher gives a three-step instruction, your child may lose track of where she is in the sequence, resulting in frustration or anxiety. Planning, sequencing, and organizing information are essential for learning new information, for problem-solving, for completing tasks efficiently, and for participating in complex discussions.
Concept formation is the ability to categorize items based on what they have in common, select items that are different and explain why, and figure out patterns or relationships between items. If your child cannot readily see relationships between items, he will struggle to link new ideas with what he already knows. Concept formation is also the basis for more abstract thinking.
Flexible thinking means your child can shift from one task to another or be open to a change in perspective when learning new information. If your child can think flexibly, she can see new ways of doing things, or be willing to think of or try out a new solution to a problem. Speaking of solving problems, in part two we will look at how to support your child’s executive functions.
