Executive Functioning Explained
What does it look like when someone is struggling with EF skills?
and
What can ya do about it?
1) Self-Regulation and Impulse Control
What this looks like: Individuals struggling in this area have a hard time inhibiting their emotional reactions and responses. Including their verbal, physical, and behavioral actions in various environments.
What can you do about it? Improve self-regulation abilities and inhibition by learning to STOP and THINK before you DO/SAY.
2) Task Initiation
What this looks like: This is often mislabeled as “laziness.” Individuals struggling with EF skills have a hard time self-motivating towards a task that will benefit their future self.
What can you do about it? Improve initiation and motivation towards nonpreferred tasks by learning how to plan backwards. Visualize the end goal and work backwards to think through the steps that will be executed.
3) Future Planning
What this looks like: Because these individuals lack the working memory skills to see themselves in the future, it is hard for them to plan for a future goal and therefore also hard to self-motivate toward those goals that will benefit their future self.
What can you do about it? Practice future planning by visualization techniques to SEE and FEEL yourself in the future.
4) Time Blindness
What this looks like: This is the tendency to be stuck in the present, unaware of the past and not thinking toward the future.
What can you do about it? Improve understanding and sense of time by using an analog clock to set time estimates and time limits.
5) Rigidity
What this looks like: A lack of mental flexibility. Decreased ability to see another’s perspective or think about something in a new or different way.
What can you do about it? Improve mental flexibility by practicing perspective taking and metacognition.
6) Self-Awareness
What this looks like: Lack of awareness of your own actions and how they impact the people around you.
What can you do about it? Improve self-awareness by learning to reflect on past events and evaluate strengths and areas that need improvement.
How an SLP can help:
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) is an ideal professional to work with individuals on executive functioning skills due to their expertise in language, communication, and cognitive processes. SLPs have a unique understanding of the interplay between language and executive functioning skills, as many of the cognitive processes involved in executive functioning rely on language and communication. SLPs are trained to evaluate and treat language, communication, and cognitive disorders that affect these skills, and they often work with individuals who have conditions such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, or language impairments. SLPs use evidence-based interventions and strategies that are tailored to the individual's needs and goals, and they collaborate with other professionals, such as educators and psychologists, to provide comprehensive care. By working with an SLP, individuals can receive targeted interventions to improve their executive functioning skills, which can lead to better outcomes.