What Do They Mean by Executive Function?

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As I interact with many parents and teachers I often hear comments about Executive Function.  
Comments are usually about children and youth who have problems getting a job done, keeping 
their desk or room straightened up, changing direction at the spur of the moment, remembering 
what he/she was supposed to do, or turning in homework or a big project.  These children and 
youth often baffle their parents and teachers.  The adults just can’t figure out why the child can 
talk about complex ideas and concepts but can’t remember that it is time for lunch.  Executive 
function is generally thought to be multiple brain activities working together to enable humans to 
live in the world with others, and involve three areas:  working memory, inhibitory control, and 
cognitive or mental flexibility (Center on the Developing Child, 2016).  According to Dr. George 
McCloskey “Executive functions are responsible for a person’s ability to engage in purposeful, 
organized, strategic, self-regulated, goal-directed behavior” (2011).  

Many people expect gifted children and youth to have advanced skills in all areas so observers 
are often surprised when these gifted people have difficulties like the ones I list above.  Since 
many gifted children and youth have asynchronous development, many have problems with 
executive functioning.  Sometimes schools may identify executive function difficulties as a 
disability and may recommend special education services.  For gifted children this may or may 
not be a true disability.  Careful analysis of the whole child must be made.  Gifted children and 
youth need guidance and practice to help improve their executive function skills so they develop 
into functioning adults who can make a difference in their world, even if that world is their own 
family.

There are many resources available from a simple Internet search using the key words ‘Executive 
Function.’  When doing your own exploring be sure to look for reputable, reliable resources as 
there are many falsehoods found on the Internet.  Below is a list of several reliable resources as a 
place to begin your exploration.  Have fun!  You may just learn something about yourself in the 
process.

Executive Function Internet Resources

Executive Function and Self-Regulation (text and video)
Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, 2016
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/

The following four resources are links found on the webpage above.

InBrief:  Executive Function:  Skills for Life and Learning (video, PDF)
Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University 
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-executive-function-skills-for-life-and-learning/

Activities Guide:  Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to 
Adolescence (PDFs by age)
Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-
function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/

Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System:  How Early Experiences Shape the Development of 
Executive Function (20 page paper)
Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/building-the-brains-air-traffic-control-system-how-early-
experiences-shape-the-development-of-executive-function/

Training Module:  Executive Function (Six part series)
Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/training-module-executive-function/

How Family Game Night Makes Kids into Better Students (article)
The Atlantic, Jessica Lahey (author, English teacher), July 16, 2014
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/07/how-family-game-night-makes-kids-into-
better-students/374525/

Tips for Parents:  Executive Function at Home and School (PDF)
Davidson Institute for Talent Development, 2012
http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10523.aspx

Executive Function 101 eBook (PDF)
https://www.understood.org/~/media/images/categorized/ebooks/executivefunction101ebook.pdf

Executive Functions:  A General Overview (PDF)
George McCloskey, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2011
http://www.fasp.org/PDF_Files/School_Neuropsychology/Executive_Functions-

A_General_Overview_McCloskey.pdf
Strengthening Executive Function in Children:  Tips for Parents and Practitioners
Search Institute, 2015 (PDF)
http://www.search-institute.org/downloadable/exec-function-feb-2015.pdf

Book:  Smart but Scattered.  Peg Dawson, and Richard Guare.  The Guilford Press, 2009.