The center on the developing child at Harvard University compares the executive function with an air traffic control system at a busy airport. Air traffic systems handle the arrivals and departures of many planes on multiple runways. Like This brain needs the skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses.
What are executive function skills?
Executive function skills are a group of important mental skills that allow us to set goals and get things done.
There are three main areas of executive function 1)working memory, 2)Mental flexibility, and 3)inhibitory control, which includes self-control.
Working memory
Working memory is the ability to keep information in mind so you can then put it to use.
Mental flexibility
Mental flexibility or flexible thinking is the ability to see from different angles and find different ways to solve them.
Self-control
Self-control is the ability to stop before you respond on impulse to control your attention and your behavior and manage your emotions.
Children aren’t born with these skills, they have to develop them. Some children may need more support than others to develop these skills.
kids who struggle with executive function have trouble paying attention and focusing on organizing and planning to start completing tasks and shifting focus from one task to another.
What causes problems with executive function?
It’s not clear exactly what causes executive function issues, but research using MRI shows that people who struggle with these skills have slower development in the parts of the brain that are responsible for executive function.
There also seems to be a genetic component in many kids who struggle with executive function and have a parent who also struggled with executive functions.
Things in the environment could also play a role in a high stress, poor nutrition, and sleep. Lack of exposure to language and low quality of caregiving might be reasons for issues in executive functions.
Advantages of Identifying problems with executive function
Executive function develops over time, so we can identify difficulties in executive functions and learn strategies for working around their challenges in classroom accommodations like extended time and preferred seating can help, and so can tutoring in organization skills research shows that even brief
interventions teaching kids how to pause and reflect before they respond leads to improved executive function and actual changes in how the brain function.
Misconceptions
It’s important to know that executive function issues don’t have much to do with intelligence. Kids with problems in executive function can be just as intelligent as their peers without these challenges.
controlling impulses, focusing on a task, and the art of remembering information in memory does not evolves naturally as children grows; they should have developed.
children who have problems with executive function skills might not overcome them easily.
Young children who can’t focus on a task, who are easily distractable or with uncontrollable emotions, are no bad kids. It may be because they have problems with executive functions.
Sometimes early education programs focus mainly on teaching alphabets, words and numbers. Teachers must take conscious efforts to develop executive functioning skills. It is a mutual process, good executive functions will result in better achievements.
