Executive Function is a broad term which covers the cognitive processes that help us govern our behaviors/ actions and outcomes.   These processes are particularly important for school success because they include:

Inhibition: 

The conscious or unconscious ability to restrain from a desire or impulse.

Initiation: 

The ability to start a task, even when the task is not preferred.

Shift: 

The ability to consciously move or change your attention from one task to another.

Emotional Control: 

The ability to respond to demands and experiences flexibly and in a socially acceptable way to permit both spontaneous and delayed reactions that are grade and age appropriate.

Working Memory: 

The ability to take information that was introduced into short term memory and begin to use, manipulate, and integrate it with our other memories.

Planning and Organization: 

The ability to think about activities and time required to achieve a goal and then develop the initial strategies for success.

Materials Organization: 

The ability to understand, organize, and successfully use the materials necessary to complete a task.

Self-Monitoring:

The ability to evaluate your performance and alter your actions if necessary. 

Executive functions are maturational and will completely develop sometime between 18-28 years of age.  What is considered normal maturation by science is not consistent with what is demanded by rigorous academic curricula.  Executive Dysfunction is not an indicator of cognitive ability and is frequently noted in students who are bright and enrolled in advanced courses.   Often, the demands of these courses outstrip a child’s executive functions.  Grades fall due to incomplete or late assignments, poorly organized work, missed directions, careless errors, poor prioritization, inability to conform to a group, poor decision making, etc. The child’s grades do not reflect their ability because they are losing points in grading that are not associated with knowledge, but with missed, incomplete, or inadequate work. 

Ultimately, executive function maturity catches up with school rigor.  But, during the maturing process, study skills must be taught and supported, usually by someone who is not emotionally involved with the student, so that they can meet their academic potential without feeling that they have failed in the eyes of those who love them. 

School is not forgiving to the student who doesn’t understand why schoolwork that was once easy has become so difficult.  Executive function coaching can support the bright student through the years of self-doubt and academic frustration by teaching them to use a set of individualized study skills that create learned independence.