What is Executive Functioning?
Your brain's processes working together to complete a task. Executive Functioning encompasses a variety of cognitive processes that allow you to make decisions, organize thoughts, prioritize your time, and problem solve.
Shift
Ability to move from one task to another, to think flexibly, and to stop one behavior and start a new one.
Planning, Organizing and Initiating
Ability to plan, begin and manage a task or activity independently
Self Monitoring
Ability to monitor one's own performance and to measure against a standard of what is needed or expected.
Abstract Reasoning
Ability to see relationships, make connections and categorize information
Inhibition
The ability to stop one's behavior at the appropriate time, including stopping actions and thoughts
Emotional Control
The ability to modulate emotional responses by bringing rational thought to bear on feelings
Working Memory
The capacity to hold information in mind for the purpose of completing a task
Organization of Materials
The ability to impose order on work, play and storage spaces
Everyone has executive functioning, a lot of people have executive dysfunction for a variety of reasons. Everyone is at a different place in their EF journey.
To learn more about executive functioning, check out these resources below!
Prepared by the National Center for Learning Disabilities
Beyond BookSmart offers resources and coaching in executive functioning strategies for students and adults