Have you ever wondered why your child lacks the same “internal manager” you have? Why he (or she) struggles to stay on track with everyday tasks, like doing homework or chores? Why he sometimes has difficulty completing even purely voluntary projects? You may know that he behaves this way because his brain isn’t yet fully developed, but many parents don’t understand specifically which skills control the ability to plan, organize, and execute tasks. Furthermore, most parents aren’t sure how much of this kind of behaviour is normal and what kind of developmental trajectory it should follow.
Executive Functions: The Brain’s Control Centre
Executive functions are shaped primarily by the activity of the frontal lobe. This area of the brain acts as a kind of control centre that directs mental resources towards each step of carrying out a complex task. As such, executive function skills govern attention, working memory, foresight and hindsight, time management (including estimating how long tasks will take to complete), and planning sequential actions. They’re also integral to managing impulses and emotions; they create better self-awareness and help us identify risks. Executive function skills allow us to think before we act, use our past experiences to respond appropriately to current situations, and tune out distractions.
Poor executive function skills can lead children to, for example, repeatedly delay doing a school project because they truly believe that it won’t take them long to complete it. They’re unable to realistically estimate how much time each step in the project will take to complete. Kids with executive function deficits typically also have a hard time following the rules, and they exhibit poor stress tolerance. (These two things in combination can make them appear defiant and explosive.) They are more likely to quit tasks before they complete them owing to feelings of frustration or boredom, too.
If you have ever looked after a three-year-old, then you know all of the above behaviours are a perfectly normal part of development. That’s why small children need help tying their shoes, getting dressed, and doing other “simple” things. Otherwise, when they aren’t successful after their second or third attempt to get their arms through their sleeves, they’ll probably give up—and have a good cry.
You may have guessed, too, that the frontal lobe tends to develop relatively slowly and unevenly. Even an 18-year-old will sometimes appear impulsive and moody to an older adult because they’re still experiencing some mild deficits in this area. (Incredibly, the human brain remains in a state of active development until we reach about age 25.) Moreover, preteens and teens can appear very unstable in their level of maturity because their executive function skills can vary from one day to the next, depending on how tired, hungry, or overwhelmed they are. Where executive function deficits become problematic is when they aren’t consistent with age-appropriate behaviour. When a seven-year-old can’t tie his shoes without help, for example, or an 18-year-old still can’t estimate how long his homework will take, then it’s likely that there’s a deeper issue at play.
10 Signs Your Child Has Executive Functioning Problems
- Your child is prone to risk-taking behaviour. He often jumps headlong into situations without thinking them through or identifying possible consequences.
- Your older child (preteen or teen) struggles to complete tasks that involve multiple steps. He becomes overwhelmed quickly by large jobs, even outside an academic setting. For example, when asked to clean up a very messy room, he can’t figure out where to start (and gets frustrated before he even begins).
- Your child has a hard time setting goals, initiating tasks, and completing tasks. He may have lots of dreams and ideas, but he seldom translates them into reality.
- Your child is hypersensitive to perceived criticism. He often focuses so strongly on his emotions when receiving feedback that he overlooks valuable information.
- Your child has a hard time processing verbal information, e.g., he can’t seem to take detailed notes in class and you often have to repeat verbal instructions to him multiple times.
- Your child is much more disorganized than his same-age peers or siblings, and he frequently forgets things.
- Your child constantly “leaves things until the last minute,” no matter how often you warn him not to do so.
- Your child demonstrates rigid thinking. He has a hard time adapting to changing situations or revising plans without a great deal of advanced notice.
- Your older child frequently “melts down” or acts out, completely overcome by his emotions.
- Your older child isn’t always aware of his needs or the needs of others. He struggles to empathize and can appear selfish at times.
What Causes Delays in the Development of Executive Function Skills?
A number of different developmental disorders and learning disabilities can interrupt the normal development of executive function skills. ADHD is one of the most common, and best-known, causes of executive function deficits. However, other forms of neurodivergence, such as Autism, can also cause varying degrees of impairment in this area. Indeed, even some kids who don’t have any identifiable disorder experience delays in the development of executive functions.
As a parent, it can be very difficult to tell whether your child is having difficulties or if he’s simply behaving in an age-appropriate way. In general, if you have concerns about your child’s level of functioning, it’s a good idea to begin by talking to his teachers. If he has social or academic issues that might be related to poor executive functioning, your child’s teachers will probably already be aware of the problem. Likewise, speaking to your child’s teachers can secure him the extra academic support he needs while you investigate the root cause of his deficits.
Finally, you should have your child undergo a comprehensive psycho-educational assessment. Such assessments not only help clinicians make an accurate diagnosis of learning disabilities like ADHD, they provide detailed information about your child’s individual strengths and weaknesses. By addressing your child’s weaknesses early on, you can help him “remap” his brain and overcome his difficulties with executive functioning.
How to Help Adolescents Develop Executive Function Skills
Both neurotypical and neurodivergent teens can benefit significantly from executive function training. Adolescents occupy a unique cognitive space in the sense that, while the majority of their brain is fully developed, their frontal lobes are still actively building connections. As a result, they process new information quickly but often struggle to formulate plans, sequence activities, and pursue long-range goals. It’s this thinking style that gives teens their characteristic impulsivity and poor regard for consequences.
By working on your teen’s executive function skills, you can help them overcome these deficits, make better choices, and resist negative peer pressure. You’ll also prepare your teen to deal with the many challenges of adolescent life. Although teens’ brains are still developing, society frequently expects young people to perform at an adult level: Teens must navigate complex social relationships, independently manage their academic and personal obligations, and lay the groundwork for their futures as adults, for example. Without parental support and guidance in the crucial areas of planning, organization, and self-regulation, trying to meet these demands can leave teens feeling confused and overwhelmed.
Fortunately, multiple interventions exist to assist teens in developing more robust executive function skills, including cognitive training, certain physical activities, and mindfulness exercises. Below, we’ll discuss how you can apply these strategies at home:
Cognitive Training
In recent years, multiple computerized cognitive training games have been developed specifically to help children strengthen their executive function skills. Some of the best-known examples of these games include Cogmed, which targets working memory and attention, and Mightier, which focuses on improving kids’ emotional regulation skills.
Though many kids and teens respond well to the concept of using games to improve their cognitive skills, parents should understand that this approach has some limitations. First, for these programs to be effective, kids must be willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to training (e.g., at least three sessions per week for up to 15 weeks). In practice, some children will inevitably lose interest in these activities before they harness their full potential.
Secondly, while research supports the effectiveness of cognitive training games for enhancing specific abilities, questions remain about whether this translates into a broader gain in executive functioning skills. Though computerized games have shown measurable success in improving cognitive flexibility and impulse control in older children and teens (in addition to improving memory and concentration), there’s limited evidence demonstrating how well these benefits carry over to real-world, dynamic situations. As such, while cognitive training games are undeniably valuable tools for building EF skills, it’s important to pair them with other interventions.
As a general rule, cognitive training games are most effective for adolescents who experience significant weaknesses in specific areas of cognition, such as working memory or concentration. Older children and teens with ADHD, for example, often show marked and long-lasting reductions in inattention and other ADHD symptoms after completing a course of Cogmed training. Similarly, there is some evidence to suggest that Mightier may improve the behavioural health of Autistic children when used in conjunction with traditional therapy.
Physical Activity
Strong evidence exists linking social, structured physical activities to EF gains in teenagers. Though exercise itself may positively influence brain development (by improving blood flow to the brain and increasing levels of endorphins, which enhance memory and concentration), research suggests that it’s the pairing of exercise with character development and social bonding that truly improves EF skills. For example, in one study, teens with a history of behaviour problems were enrolled in either traditional tae kwon do, which emphasizes self-regulation, or modern martial arts, which focuses exclusively on fitness and competition. The adolescents practicing traditional tae kwon do experienced improvements in both behaviour and self-esteem, whereas those enrolled in modern martial arts actually showed a decline in positive behaviours and confidence.
To effectively use exercise to strengthen your teen’s executive functions, look for activities that combine physical training with either social cooperation or mindfulness. Ideal activities will challenge teens to remember rules and strategies while simultaneously paying attention to others’ actions and managing their own behaviour. Examples include team sports, such as basketball and soccer, and exercises that incorporate mindful awareness, like yoga.
Regardless of which sport your teen chooses to play, remember to encourage them to approach it with a spirit of teamwork and cooperation. The EF benefits of physical activities are quickly lost if teens begin to focus on winning at all costs or receiving individual accolades at the expense of their teammates.
If your teen is unable or unwilling to take part in physical activities, there are other group endeavors that may prove equally useful for improving EF skills. Participating in music classes or theatre, for instance, creates similar opportunities to combine motor and social skills with planning, memory, and organization.
Mindfulness
Though mindfulness exercises were not developed with the specific intention of strengthening executive functions, improving your teen’s ability to cope with stress may indirectly support better utilization of these skills. We know that when children are chronically stressed or anxious (whether due to a mental health condition or situational factors), they become prone to increased impulsivity, inattention, and behavioural disturbances. These psychological changes arise when the brain’s “fight or flight” response is activated because the amygdala suppresses activity in the frontal lobes, where planning, reasoning, and other executive functions occur. Therefore, it stands to reason that calming this response could give kids and teens more opportunities to practice using executive function skills, ultimately reinforcing them.
At its core, mindfulness involves training the brain to focus on the present, rather than worrying about the past or future. As part of this process, practitioners are encouraged to observe and accept their feelings without either suppressing them or automatically reacting to them. In terms of practical tools to help young people achieve these objectives, there are a number of proven techniques parents can suggest, including deep breathing exercises, guided meditation, and keeping a personal journal.
Reducing distractions is also an excellent way to encourage your teen to become more mindful. Enforce a period of household-wide “screen-free” time each day, and talk to your teen about the harms of multitasking (e.g., checking social media while simultaneously doing homework). Frequent multitasking increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol and impedes concentration and working memory, thereby inhibiting the mastery of EF skills.
As a final note, there are many small interventions parents can use on a day-to-day basis to support their teen’s cognitive development, in addition to using the strategies outlined above. Parents shouldn’t hesitate to offer assistance with the planning of large projects, for example, and it’s worthwhile to occasionally check in with your teen’s feelings, goals, and motivations. You can also help your teen self-reflect by reviewing completed projects to ascertain what helped them focus, what set them back, and what they might do differently next time. If possible, make a list of these things, then work with your teen to find the best tools to support independent learning in the future. (For instance, if your teen has a hard time gauging how much time large projects will take, suggest making a project calendar to keep them on track.) By assisting your teen in refining how they learn, you’ll help them chart a course towards better EF skills without co-opting their sense of agency or achievement.
