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Writer's pictureVeronica Karwoski

What is Executive Functioning?

Updated: Jul 2, 2023

What is Executive Functioning?


How does your adolescent student keep track of important assignments and get where they need to be on time? If the answer is you, now is a great opportunity to begin teaching them important executive functioning skills. Executive functioning is often considered to be three “buckets” of skills: working memory, emotional regulation, and flexible thinking. Within these categories there are smaller and more specific tasks that support someone’s overall executive functioning. The Brown’s Executive Functioning Scales is an assessment that measures an individual's executive functioning ability in 6 main areas: activation, effort, emotion, memory, action, and focus.


These areas support student’s ability to be successful academically, but also continue to be needed into adulthood as they manage more complex responsibilities with increased demand to do so independently. The same activation and action required to start a homework assignment is needed to begin a job application, clean a room, or start important paperwork. Working memory is required to listen to a lecture and take notes, record assignment due dates, and also to stay engaged in social conversation appropriately. Effort and focus are needed to study for exams and also to safely facilitate tasks like driving and cooking. Finally all learners need to be able to regulate their emotions in order to support the rest of the executive functioning skills discussed here.




Do we all have the same level of executive functioning ability, or can it be harder for others? Every learner as well as every person has a unique personality and cognitive profile. We have differing strengths and weaknesses and these differences impact our executive functioning. Some students can remain calm when encountering challenges but often forget to turn in their assignments and write their homework down. Others may have no problem remembering their responsibilities, but experience debilitating anxiety and subsequently do not start assignments for fear of doing poorly. The content or task area may also impact learners' executive functioning ability. Many students can sustain intense focus on a preferable activity, but become easily distracted when provided with alternatives to a non preferred activity. Individual’s executive functioning ability may also change as they age or after experiencing brain injuries.


If you struggle with many of the activities described so far, do not be discouraged. Our executive functioning skills are malleable and I believe it is never too late to improve them. The benefits of practicing executive functioning strategies is that these tasks get easier for us over time and our quality of life improves. During this upcoming semester I will be sharing ways I have improved my own executive functioning ability and supported many learners in also doing so. You can join my email list here: https://www.growtheducationtherapy.com/to continue to learn more. I also am excited to host an executive functioning reboot on January 7th and 8th. The sign up is located here: https://forms.gle/8uEcW1UmcMBMgLYS8.I hope to see you there!


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