Understanding

Executive Functioning

Brendalee Simas, RECE, RC

April 2025
 “There is always light only if we are brave enough to see it.
There is always light if we are brave enough to be it.”

Amanda Gorman, Poet, Activist, Role Model

Our Home and Native Land

 Agenda

What is Executive Functioning?

8 Key Functions

EF Role in Daily Life

EF and Learning

EF Behaviour and Emotions

EF in Social Situations and Relationships

Strategies & Activities to Support the “Kids do well if they can” (Ross Greene) - if they can’t
something is getting in the way, and they need support in
figuring out what it is and what will help
Development of EF
Not a lack of WILL, it’s a lack of SKILL
 What is Executive Functioning?


Executive functions are a set
of brain-based skills that 
allow us to make decisions,
plan activities, and stay
focused while accomplishing
our goals.



Stage One: 0-10 Months
• Essential structures and systems that support survival and
physical growth are developing
• The cerebral cortex begins to form

Stage Two: 10 Months – 2 Years

• Neurons and synapses are forming at an incredible rate
Stages of Brain Development
• The prefrontal cortex begins to develop

Stage Three: 2-6 Years

• Brain growth rate slows down and refines existing neural
connections and networks
• Prefrontal cortex continues to develop

Stage Four: 6-8 Years

• Brain undergoes pruning (weak or unused neural
connections are eliminated to increase efficiency)

Stage Five: 8-25 Years

• Maturation and stabilization of the prefrontal cortex
• Executive functions become fully developed
Brain Control Centre https://youtu.be/njWUSNg8SSA
8 Key Executive Functions
Skill What it Means How it Looks
Impulse Impulse control helps a Kids with weak impulse control might blurt out
Control child think before inappropriate things. They are also more likely to
acting. engage in in risky behaviour.

Emotional Emotional control Kids with weak emotional control often overreact.
Control helps a child keep their They can have trouble dealing with criticism and
feelings in check. regrouping when something goes wrong.

‘Shift' or Flexible thinking allows Kids with “rigid’ thinking don’t roll with the
Flexible a child to adjust to the punches. They might get frustrated if asked to think
Thinking unexpected. about something from a different angle or
perspective.
8 Key EF (1)
Skill What it Means How it Looks
Working Working memory helps Kids with weak working memory have trouble
Memory a child keep key remembering directions – even if they’ve taken
information in mind. notes or you’ve repeated them several times.

Self- Self-monitoring helps a Kids with weak self-monitoring skills may be

Monitoring child to keep key surprised by a bad grade or negative feedback.
information in mind.
Planning & Planning and Kids with weak planning and prioritizing skills may
Prioritizing prioritizing help a child not know which parts of a project are most
on a goal and plan to important.
meet it.
8 Key EF (2)

Skill What it Means How it Looks

Task Task initiation helps a Kids who have weak task initiation skills may freeze
Initiation child take action and up because they have no idea where to begin.
get started.

Organization Organization lets a Kids with weak organization skills can lose their
child keep track of train of thought – as well as their belongings.
things physically and
mentally.
Role of Analyzing Info

Executive Seeing
Paying
another’s
Functions in perspective
attention

Daily Life
Remembering

EF’s
Making Plans important
details

Role
Managing/
Staying
Tracking
Organized
Behaviours

Regulating Managing
Emotions Time
 EF in Everyday Life

1. Studying
2. Completing a project
3. Littering
4. Multitasking
5. Cleaning
6. Playing a game
7. Going to a theatre
8. Conversing and communicating
9. Eating
10.Shopping
EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
g) Task Initiation
Organization h) Organization
EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
g) Task Initiation
Working Memory h) Organization
EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
g) Task Initiation
Self-Monitoring,
h) Organization
Impulse Control
EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
g) Task Initiation
Organization h) Organization
 EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
g) Task Initiation
Flexibility, Working Memory h) Organization
EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
g) Task Initiation
Organization, Emotional Control h) Organization
EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
Planning, g) Task Initiation
Setting Priorities h) Organization
 EF Around the Clock

Area of EF

a) Impulse Control
b) Emotional Control
c) Flexible Thinking
d) Working Memory
e) Self-Monitoring
f) Planning and Prioritizing
g) Task Initiation
Self Monitoring, Organization h) Organization
 EF Skills by Age – Infants & Toddlers

Infants 6-12 Months Toddlers 1-2 Years

• A crying baby can settle down when they are • As they learn to interact with their environment
comforted by a preferred caregiver, which is the and people around them, they are learning how
emergence of emotional control to problem solve (shift), express preferences, and
• As babies learn to recognize family members’ protest appropriately (inhibition)
faces or show a preference for certain • Learning to communicate their feelings and will
toys/activities they are developing working often have big reactions to minor problems
memory
• As babies learn to track objects with their eyes or
watch your face when you sing to them, they are
developing attention
 EF Skills by Age – Preschoolers and School-Age

Preschoolers 3-5 Years School-Age 6-11 Years

• Becoming better at emotional control and shift • Quickly developing executive functions that relate
• Learning to keep their hands to themselves, wait to academic work – working memory to recall and
there turn and follow the group plan (self- integrate information into their current knowledge
monitoring and inhibition) – planning and organization to keep track of their
• Kids love to know about ‘rules’ at this age making own things and manage their own time and
it easier to introduce the concept of “everything develop initiation to begin a task, even if it isn’t
has a place”. If you are consistent at putting things motivating
in the same place (organization), they can learn • Socially, school-age children continue to develop
the same expectation emotional control and inhibition which are much
needed for successful social interaction
Emotional Regulation & Executive Function

• Requires one to be aware of their emotions

• Shifting, response inhibition and working memory are
directly involved
• Can look like a bad decision based on inner thoughts,
or being in a grumpy mood from being mean to a
friend
• Especially challenging for children with anxiety, ASD,
ADHD, SPD (sensory processing differences), other a-
typical challenges and early childhood trauma
• Emotions can become intense and out of control
impacting the ability to manage behaviours or
executive functioning skills
• The ability to regulate emotions is an essential
prerequisite for adaptive development and behaviour
Emotional Impacts of Executive Dysfunction

• Feeling “Stuck”
• Frustration and Stress
• Low Self-Esteem and Self-Doubt
• Lessoned Motivation
• Pervasive Feelings of Guilt and Shame
• Unhealthy Self-Talk Repeated challenges with executive
• Learned Helplessness functioning can lead to decreased motivation,
confidence, and self-esteem. Over time,
people with these difficulties may experience
symptoms of depression and anxiety,
impacting academic and work performance
and social relationships.
Executive Functioning – Learning, Behaviour and Social Cognition

Learning: Behaviour:
• Staying focused in class • Emotional and behavioural problems are closely
• Keeping materials organized associated with impairments in regulating
• Ability to multitask emotions and in executive functions (EF).
• Thinking though problems • Executive function impairments are associated
• Patience – waiting to speak, turn taking with emotional and behavioural challenges due
• Seeking help to the inability to deal with stressful situations
• The ability to manage emotions directs
behaviour
Social Situations:
• Recognition of emotions (personal and others)
• Plays a pivotal role in how we navigate complex social
situations
• Evaluating our behaviours and thinking before we act
• By developing these skills, we can enhance our ability to
understand and relate to others.
Barriers to Development of
Executive Functioning
Internal Factors
 Intellectual disabilities
 Struggles with mental health
 Learning differences (Neurodiverse)

Environmental Factors
 Economic hardship
 Abusive or neglectful caregivers,
 Violence in the home or community
 Chaotic surroundings
 Poor access to nutritious food
Executive Functioning Impairments

ADHD Anxiety Autism Concussion

Depression Sensory
PANS/
& Mood OCD Processing
PANDAS
Disorder Disorder
Bio-Break
Stroop Task / Stoop Effect
Read Each Word Aloud

Red Green Blue Pink

Green Blue Pink Red
Yellow Green Red Pink
Blue Pink Green Red
Read Each Word Aloud

Yellow Green Red Yellow

Blue Pink Green Red
Pink Blue Green Pink
Red Green Yellow Blue
 Name the Colour Aloud

Blue Pink Green Red

Green Blue Red Yellow
Green Blue Pink Blue
Yellow Pink Red Green

Stroop Effect Game

What EF skills did you use during the Stroop Task?

Impulse Control

Emotional Control

Flexible Thinking

Working Memory

Self-Monitoring

Planning & Prioritizing

Task Initiation

Organization
Strengthening Executive Functioning

Executive functioning skills are like muscles;

the more you exercise, use and train them, the
stronger they get. The tasks that require
executive functioning skills for their completion
are the very tasks that also exercise and
strengthen these skills.
Enhancing the Development of Executive Functioning

1. Identify and understand both the factors contributing to the

child’s successes and the factors standing in the way of their
successes.
(Guare, Dawson & Guare, Smart but Scattered, 2012)

2. Be aware that a young child’s environment of relationships plays

an important role in the development of executive capacities.

3. Provide support until the child is demonstrating the ability to

apply the new skills and strategies independently. (Scaffolding)
Dependence to Independence Modifying the Environment

• Job is not to “do for” • Changing the physical or social environment

• Job is to “help them do” – Alarm clocks, organizing systems for study
– Sustaining attention, transitioning materials / room keeping, wall or desk
from task to task, managing and calendars, whiteboards for schedules, colour
regulating emotions coding
– Organizing, supporting, – Reduce distractions
communicating, allocating time, • Changing the nature of the task
scheduling – Break tasks into pieces, shorten tasks, reduce
• Operating as an external frontal lobe the amount of work, provide clear steps
(Greene, Collaborative Problem Solving) (Guare, Dawson & Guare, Smart but Scattered, 2012)
Validation
10 Ways to Validate Someone
• Attend
(Notice, pay attention, tune “in” vs “out”) 1. Give verbal cues that you are
• Label the emotion listening
(Name it, speak the unspoken) 2. Display active listening with your
• Validate body language
“That sounds really difficult.” “I can see 3. Mirror their mood and energy level
why you feel this way.” “I feel like this too 4. Ask clarifying questions
sometimes.” “I understand. I’m here if you 5. Repeat their words back to them
need me.” “It must be really hard to feel 6. Talk less, listen more
this way.” “All of your feelings are okay and 7. Help them to name/label their
valid.” feelings
• Meet the emotional need/support 8. Normalize their reactions
Emotional need (comfort, reassurance, 9. Relate to them
space) Practical need (set limits, redirect, 10.Acknowledge their story
problem solve, take over)
(Emotion Focused Family Therapy)
Inside Out https://youtu.be/GgQBPSECgZg
Tips for Emotional Control

• Model self-regulation • Prepare for trouble spots, practice

• Use positive self talk (e.g., “I need a break”) what to do, role play
• Prepare your child – talk to him/her about what • Offer to help problem solve a better
to expect and what to do if his/her emotions way to manage the emotion once
build up everyone is calm
• Decrease opportunities for emotions to build up • Teach and practice relaxation skills
• Clear expectations, predictability, warnings for (Calm breathing, muscle relaxation,
transitions movement breaks) Practice
• Encourage breaks and time for movement relaxation skills throughout the day
• View mistakes as a natural part of the learning
process
Tips for Flexibility
• Manage the environment
- Schedules and routines
- Advanced notice for what is happening next “you have five
minutes before you have to tidy up”
- Rehearse the situation in advance and walk your child through
what might happen
- Reduce the complexity of the task (break the task down into
smaller pieces)

• Walk your child through stressful an anxiety provoking situations

• Support the child in coming up with a strategy for handling
situations where their flexibility might cause problems
- Count to 10
- Take a walk
- Ask for help
 Tips for Working Memory
• Break information / instructions / tasks into individual steps
(chunk) and provide steps one at a time
• Provide information in multiple ways (speak it, show it, create
opportunities to practice it)
• Establish routines
• Keep rules and directions short, clear, and specific
• Give instructions one at a time and repeat if necessary
• Demonstrate what is to be done (model what you need to do at
each step or how to perform the task)
• Make information meaningful (e.g., make into a story, relate to
areas of interest, past experiences or knowledge)
• Repetition, repetition, repetition
Tips for Planning and Organization
• Help identify goals and create a step-by-step
plan
- Write the steps down, assist with
monitoring progress, provide frequent
feedback
• Prompt and cue your child
(“What do you need to do first? And then
what?”)
• When developing a plan or organizational
system involve your child as much as possible
• Develop and maintain organization systems
and structures (e.g., bins, baskets, checklists)
• Create a visual for the space once it is
organized (Photo or drawing of everything put
in place on the shelves for comparison)
Tips for Time Management
• Create predictable daily routines
• Talk to your child about how long it
typically takes to complete certain
activities or tasks
• Use timers and clocks to show your child
how much time your child has left for the
activity or task (transitional warnings)
• Use calendars and schedules
 Authentic Praise
• Offer praise when your child is able to use their EF skills. Authentic and genuine praise
will bring attention to how they handled a task or situation
• Recognize, praise and reinforce efforts not just results
• Praise should be sparing, specific and sincere
Personal vs Effort-Based Praise
Practicing Executive Functioning Skills with Play Activities

Why use play activities? Kids LOVE to play. Games and activities are particularly helpful
for kids who may need a different and more interactive way of learning the skills.

• Freeze Dance (practices self-control – keeping our bodies still when needed)
• Musical Chairs (practices task initiation & attention)
• Guard Duty (practicing self-control – great for transitioning between environments by
standing tall, not talking and keeping our hands to ourselves)
• Simon Says (practices attention to listen)
• Role Play (practices flexibility by acting out a scenario with a partner)
• Keep the Story Going (practices flexibility and attention)
Games for older children:
• Scrabble (practices planning and organization)
• Pictionary (practices flexibility and time management)
• JENGA (practices self-control, flexibility and planning)
• Brainteasers (practices perseverance and flexibility)
Executive Function Activities: 6 to 18 Months

• Lap Games and Hiding Games – exercise working memory

(Peekaboo, A Smooth Road and Pat-a-Cake)
• Imitation or Copying Games – exercise attention, working memory and self-control
(Taking turns making simple gestures, simple building)
• Simple Role Play – exercise working memory, self-control and selective attention
(Taking turns with imaginary play)
• Fingerplays – exercise self-control, working memory and language
(Eeensy Weensy Spider, Where is Thumbkin?, Open and Shut Them)
• Conversations – exercise working memory, self-control and building attention
(Follow the child’s attention labelling what holds their attention – car, baby, cat etc, pointing
and talking about interesting objects help them to learn to focus their attention on
something that an adult has identified)

*It has been found that bilingual children have better executive function skills than monolingual
children.*
Executive Function Activities: 18 to 36 Months
• Active Games – exercises focus and sustaining their attention on a goal, inhibit unnecessary
and ineffective actions, and try things in new ways if failing on the first attempt (failing is a
learning process)
(Provide many materials and opportunities to try new skills, Follow the Leader, Simon
Says, Freeze Dance, Musical Chairs, Ring-around-the-Rosie, Hokey Pokey, I’m a Little
Teapot, Fingerplays)
• Conversations and Storytelling – exercise working memory
(Watch and narrate play –describing their actions and asking questions such as “What will
you do next?’, tell stories about shared events – create a simple book from the
experience, talk about feelings – label the feelings that you are observing and describe
what you see – thigh hands, crying etc.)
• Matching/Sorting Games – exercises working memory, attention, organization and planning
skills
(Sorting games – size, shape or colour, simple puzzles)
Executive Function Activities: 3 to 5 Years

• Imaginary Play – exercises inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, planning,
selective attention
(Read books, watch videos, go on field trips, provide various sets of props and toys,
allow children to make their own props)
• Storytelling – exercises holding and manipulating working memory, self-control, inhibitory
control
(Encourage children to tell you stories - write them down and have the child make
pictures to create their own personalized book, tell group stories, act out stories, tell
stories in bilingual languages)
• Movement Challenges – exercises inhibitory control, working memory, focus
(Provide many opportunities to test physical limitations – climbing balancing etc.,
encourage attention control through quieter activities to reduce stimulation and focus
attention, music – fast/slow, repetitive)
Executive Function Activities: 5 to 7 Years
• Care and Board Games – exercises working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control
(Requires remembering - Concentration, Go Fish, Matching - Uno, Crazy Eights, Requires fast
responses - Snap, Perfection, Involves strategy - Checkers, Sorry!, Trouble)
• Physical Games and Activities – exercises working memory, attention, inhibitory control, cognitive
flexibility
(Fast-moving ball games – four squares, dodgeball, Simon Says/Do as I Say Not as I Do,
structured physical activities – soccer, yoga)
• Quiet Activities Requiring Strategy and Reflection – exercises cognitive flexibility, working memory
(Logic and reasoning games – puzzles, Traffic Jam, guessing games, I spy books)
• Movement/Song Games

7 to 12 Years
• Building on their executive functioning skills by continuing to provide developmentally
appropriate activities.
• Steadily increasing the complexity of games and activities
• Introduce brain teasers – crossword puzzles, Sudoku, special puzzles (Rubik’s Cube)
Important Things To Keep In Mind

1. Executive functions are a unique set of

skills
2. Executive functions are all developing
at different rates, from early infancy
through adulthood
3. Executive functions are connected and
work together
4. We all have strengths and weaknesses
in these areas
5. Executive functions can improve with
time and intervention
6. Children who experience adversity at
an early age are more likely to exhibit
deficits in executive functioning
https://s.zoom.us/m/bPFf1UrpS
 Resources

 ConnectAbility
(https://connectability.ca/visuals-engine/)
 Stroop Effect Game
(https://simplyputpsych.co.uk/psych-101-
1/the-stroop-effect-a-comprehensive-
overview)
References

• Executive Function Skills For Kids | What is Executive Functioning and How Kids Can
Improve? https://youtu.be/ihP_ej4eixs
• The Childhood Collective https://thechildhoodcollective.com/2021/10/13/what-are-
the-executive-functions-and-why-do-they-matter/
• Life Skills Advocate https://lifeskillsadvocate.com/blog/emotional-regulation-
executive-functioning-understanding-the-relationship/
• What Is Executive Function? And How Does It Relate to Child Development?
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/infographics/what-is-executive-
function-and-how-does-it-relate-to-child-development/