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Executive Function Explained

Executive Function Explained

Executive function is like the brain's management system — it helps individuals plan, focus attention, remember instructions, manage emotions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.

Key Executive Function Skills

Executive function involves several key skills which develop in sequence:

  1. Self-awareness: The ability to direct attention towards oneself and reflect on actions and behaviour.
  2. Inhibition: Exercising self-restraint and thinking before acting.
  3. Non-Verbal Working Memory: The capacity to mentally visualise and hold non-verbal information, like remembering a route or visualising steps in a task.
  4. Verbal Working Memory: Using internal speech or “inner monologue” to guide thinking and problem-solving.
  5. Emotional Self-Regulation: Managing and adjusting emotional responses appropriately to different situations.
  6. Self-motivation: Being able to drive oneself to complete tasks without relying on external rewards.
  7. Planning and Problem-Solving: Creating strategies and coming up with new ways to approach and complete tasks.

Executive Function and ADHD

Executive functioning abilities are thought to develop in sequence, with each new skill building on the previous one. This development typically begins around age two (with self-awareness) and continues into early adulthood, reaching full maturity by around age 30 (with planning and problem solving).

Children with ADHD often experience a significant delay in the development of their executive function skills, typically lagging behind by about 30% to 40%, or roughly two to three years. This delay explains why those with ADHD may struggle with age-appropriate situations, as their thinking and behaviours may resemble those of younger individuals.

As they grow older, adults with ADHD usually develop only around 75% to 80% of the executive functioning capacity of their peers without ADHD.

For people with ADHD, challenges with executive function can make everyday activities harder to navigate, from staying organised to regulating emotions and staying motivated. Understanding an individual's executive function challenges is a powerful first step towards building better strategies and supports that can make a real difference during their life.