Developing Executive Function Skills
In Elementary and Middle School Children
What is executive functioning?
Executive function is a broad term used to describe the cognitive processes (focused primarily in the prefrontal cortex of the brain) that allow individuals to regulate behavior and complete goal-oriented actions. These skills are important in day-to-day activities and support a child's engagement in academic and social tasks!
Dawson, P., & Guare, R., (2018). From Executive Function Skills in Children and Adolescents. New York: Guilford Press. Third Edition.
The following definitions are referenced from:
Dawson, P., & Guare, R., (2018). From Executive Function Skills in Children and Adolescents. New York: Guilford Press. Third Edition.
Sustained Attention
"the capacity to attend to a situation or task in spite of distractibility, fatigue, or boredom" (Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 4)
Emotional Control
"the ability to manage emotions to achieve goals, complete tasks, or control and direct behavior" (Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 4)
Response Inhibition
"the capacity to think before you act" (Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 4)
Task Initiation
"the ability to begin a task without undue procrastination, in a timely fashion" (Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 4)
Working Memory
"the ability to hold information in mind while performing complex tasks" (Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 3)
Organization
"the ability to design and maintain systems for keeping track of information or materials"
(Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 3)
Time Management
"the capacity to estimate how much time one has, how to allocate it, and how to stay within time limits and deadlines"
(Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 3)
Flexibility
"the ability to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new information, or mistakes"
(Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 4)
Planning/ Prioritization
"the ability to create a roadmap to reach a goal or to complete a task. It also involves being able to make decisions about what’s important to focus on" (Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 3)
Goal-directed Persistance
"the capacity or drive to follow through to the completion of the goal and not be put off by other demands or competing interests"
(Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 4)
Metacognition
"the ability to stand back and take a bird’s eye view of oneself in a situation, It is an ability to observe how you problem solve"
(Dawson & Guare 2018, p. 3)
All eleven skills interact and influence occupational performance! Click below for general strategies to implement:
What can I do to learn more?
Want to learn more abut executive functioning and how to develop them in the children you work with? Click below to see resources:
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