Executive Function Fact Sheet

By: National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) (2005)

What is Executive Function?
"Executive unction" is a ter! use" to "escribe a set of !ental #rocesses t$at $el#s us connect #ast
ex#erience %it$ #resent action& 'e use executive function %$en %e #erfor! suc$ activities as
#lanning( organi)ing( strategi)ing an" #aying attention to an" re!e!bering "etails&
*eo#le %it$ executive function #roble!s $ave "ifficulty %it$ #lanning( organi)ing an" !anaging
ti!e an" s#ace& +$ey also s$o% %ea,ness %it$ "%or,ing !e!ory" (or "seeing in your !in"-s eye")(
%$ic$ is an i!#ortant tool in gui"ing one-s actions&
.s %it$ ot$er !anifestations of LD( "isor"ers in executive function can run in fa!ilies& *roble!s
can be seen at any age but ten" to be increasingly a##arent as c$il"ren !ove t$roug$ t$e early
ele!entary gra"es/ t$e "e!an"s of co!#leting sc$ool%or, in"e#en"ently can often trigger signs
t$at t$ere are "ifficulties in t$is area&
How does Executive Function affect learning?
0n sc$ool( at $o!e or in t$e %or,#lace( %e-re calle" on all "ay( every "ay( to self1regulate be$avior&
Nor!ally( features of executive function are seen in our ability to:
!a,e #lans
,ee# trac, of ti!e
,ee# trac, of !ore t$an one t$ing at once
!eaningfully inclu"e #ast ,no%le"ge in "iscussions
engage in grou# "yna!ics
evaluate i"eas
reflect on our %or,
c$ange our !in"s an" !a,e !i"1course an" corrections %$ile t$in,ing( rea"ing an" %riting
finis$ %or, on ti!e
as, for $el#
%ait to s#ea, until %e-re calle" on
see, !ore infor!ation %$en %e nee" it&
+$ese s,ills allo% us to finis$ our %or, on ti!e( as, for $el# %$en nee"e"( %ait to s#ea, until %e-re
calle" on an" see, !ore infor!ation&
*roble!s %it$ executive function !ay be !anifeste" %$en a #erson:
$as "ifficulty #lanning a #ro2ect
$as trouble co!#re$en"ing $o% !uc$ ti!e a #ro2ect %ill ta,e to co!#lete
struggles to tell a story (verbally or in %riting)/ $as trouble co!!unicating "etails in an
organi)e"( se3uential !anner
$as "ifficulty %it$ t$e !ental strategies involve" in !e!ori)ation an" retrieving infor!ation
fro! !e!ory
$as trouble initiating activities or tas,s( or generating i"eas in"e#en"ently
$as "ifficulty retaining infor!ation %$ile "oing so!et$ing %it$ it/ e&g&( re!e!bering a
#$one nu!ber %$ile "ialing&
How are problems with Executive Function identified?
+$ere is no single test or even battery of tests t$at i"entifies all of t$e "ifferent features of executive
function& E"ucators( #syc$ologists( s#eec$1language #at$ologists an" ot$ers $ave use" !easures
inclu"ing t$e 'isconsin Car" 4orting +est (Berg( 5678)( t$e Category +est (9eitan( 56:6)( t$e +rail
;a,ing +est (9eitan( 56:6)( an" t$e *rogressive igures an" Color or! +ests (9eitan < 'olfson(
5685) to na!e a fe%&
Careful observation an" trial1teac$ing are invaluable in i"entifying( an" better un"erstan"ing(
%ea,nesses in t$is area&
What are some strategies to help?
+$ere are !any effective strategies one can use in %$en face" %it$ t$e c$allenge of #roble!s %it$
executive function& =ere are so!e !et$o"s to try:
General strategies
+a,e ste#1by1ste# a##roac$es to %or,/ rely on visual organi)ational ai"s&
>se tools li,e ti!e organi)ers( co!#uters or %atc$es %it$ alar!s&
*re#are visual sc$e"ules an" revie% t$e! several ti!es a "ay&
.s, for %ritten "irections %it$ oral instructions %$enever #ossible&
*lan an" structure transition ti!es an" s$ifts in activities&
Managing time
Create c$ec,lists an" "to "o" lists( esti!ating $o% long tas,s %ill ta,e&
Brea, long assign!ents into c$un,s an" assign ti!e fra!es for co!#leting eac$ c$un,&
>se visual calen"ars to ,ee# trac, of long ter! assign!ents( "ue "ates( c$ores( an"
activities&
>se !anage!ent soft%are suc$ as t$e ran,lin Day *lanner( *al! *ilot( or Lotus ?rgani)er&
Be sure to %rite t$e "ue "ate on to# of eac$ assign!ent&
Managing space and materials
?rgani)e %or, s#ace&
;ini!i)e clutter&
Consi"er $aving se#arate %or, areas %it$ co!#lete sets of su##lies for "ifferent activities&
4c$e"ule a %ee,ly ti!e to clean an" organi)e t$e %or, s#ace&
Managing work
;a,e a c$ec,list for getting t$roug$ assign!ents& or exa!#le( a stu"ent-s c$ec,list coul"
inclu"e suc$ ite!s as: get out #encil an" #a#er/ #ut na!e on #a#er/ #ut "ue "ate on #a#er/
rea" "irections/ etc&
;eet %it$ a teac$er or su#ervisor on a regular basis to revie% %or,/ troubles$oot #roble!s&
he bottom line
+$e brain continues to !ature an" "evelo# connections %ell into a"ult$oo"( an" a #erson-s
executive function abilities are s$a#e" by bot$ #$ysical c$anges in t$e brain an" by life
ex#eriences( in t$e classroo! an" in t$e %orl" at large& Early attention to "evelo#ing efficient s,ills
in t$is area can be very $el#ful( an" as a rule( "irect instruction( fre3uent reassurance an" ex#licit
fee"bac, are strongly reco!!en"e"&