EXECUTIVE

FUNCTION
E-BOOK
A composition written and produced
by Hill Learning Center.
EXECUTIVE 01
A Closer Look at
Executive Function

FUNCTION: 03
Identifying Challenges with

AN OVERVIEW TABLE OF Executive Function

CONTENTS 05
Daily Life with Executive
Function Difficulties
We all use a set of innate skills and processes to accomplish
the simple and complex tasks of daily life. This set of
operations in the brain is known as executive function.
Children with learning difficulties such as attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia often find these
tasks exceptionally challenging and share a common
developmental difficulty known as executive dysfunction or
executive function disorder (EFD).

In this overview, we will take a close look at executive

function and EFD to serve as a resource for parents, relatives,
teachers, and friends of people with learning difficulties
Tips to Help
that impact executive function skills. We will cover: 07 Executive Function

• What executive function is Specialized Instruction for

• What executive function looks like in action 09 Executive Function
• What areas of a child’s life are affected by executive
function challenges
• What is available to help those who struggle with 11 References

executive function
 LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK If your child struggles with executive function, they typically manifest it in several ways. They
may have difficulty:

AT EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
Organizing Keeping track
materials of belongings

What is executive function? Turning learned Planning and

information into sticking to a
Executive Function is a set of operations in the brain that facilitate the an action schedule
execution of skills and behaviors necessary to achieve chosen goals.
Completing Telling stories
projects with a (verbally or
deadline written)

Retrieving
Creating ideas
The back of the brain stores information as we learn it and the front of the brain puts this information
independently
information to use. Executive function is a result of this collaboration, and it takes place in from memory
the frontal lobe and prefrontal cortex, the areas of the brain in charge of planning, decision
making, and other cognitions. This set of processes assists with the management of learned
and innate skills and behaviors to complete predetermined tasks.
Controlling Regulating
We implement executive function capacities when we utilize: impulses emotions

Organization Scheduling

Listening with intent Note taking What causes challenges with executive
function?
Comprehension Following directions While the exact causes are unknown, much of the medical community
today focuses on heredity. Challenges with executive function often
Test-taking skills Self-advocacy accompany other learning difficulties such as ADHD or dyslexia,
which are typically associated with genetics and the development of
the brain.
Internal motivation

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 Executive Function in Social Relationships
IDENTIFYING EXECUTIVE
FUNCTION Children may struggle to make friends because everyday social
responsibilities such as waiting their turn, sharing, picking up on social
Executive function behaviors are used in a wide range of scenarios, and cues, understanding others’ points of view, or exercising accountability
are all prime examples of executive function skill sets. These challenges
challenges can typically be identified in three recognizable categories:
can lead to embarrassment and create an overarching negative
connotation with social interaction.

Social Body language

competence awareness

Social Empathy Accountability

Academics Relationships Emotions

Executive Function in Academics Executive Function and Emotions

Children who struggle with executive functioning skills have difficulty Difficulty with executive functioning can make regulating emotions
writing down homework assignments, bringing home the necessary very challenging. Children can struggle with self-control and become
materials, or allocating adequate time to complete the homework overwrought with emotion over seemingly minor setbacks, causing
at all. These children may completely understand the value behind them to lose control of emotional intensity. These children may also
organization and prioritization, but lack the executive function have difficulty avoiding negative actions because they don’t consider
strategies to improve their habits. prior experiences and consequences before reacting.

Cognitive Considering Managing

Organizing Prioritizing Self-control
flexibility consequences emotions

Working Time Self- Cognitive

memory management monitoring flexibility

3 4
 DAILY LIFE WITH EXECUTIVE Let’s meet Katie, an 8th grader who struggles with
executive function skills.
FUNCTION CHALLENGES

Katie wakes up late, AGAIN. She forgot

to set her alarm last night and starts At lunch, Katie can’t help but interrupt her
her morning in a panic. Unable to think friends repeatedly as they talk about their
through what she needs, she grabs her favorite foods. Continuously interjecting,
backpack and runs out of the house to Katie’s friends start to get annoyed, and show
head to school, leaving her completed it through body language and posture, turning
homework on the kitchen table. away from her and rolling their eyes from time
to time. Katie fails to notice and continues to
talk louder, changing subjects at will.

10 A.M. 7 P.M.
Key Functions: Time Key Functions: Planning
Management, Working Self-Regulation, Cognitive
Memory Flexibility

7 A.M. 1 P.M.
Key Functions: Key Functions: Controlling
Organization, Time Impulses, Body Language
Management, Working Awareness, Social
Memory Competence

After dinner, Katie’s mom has an unexpected client

call, but Katie suddenly remembers that she needed
As a class exercise, Katie’s teacher asks that each student takes 15 to buy a poster for a school project that’s due
minutes to write about their weekend using a pencil and paper, so that tomorrow! No matter how much she begs, Katie’s
they can go back and edit later. Feeling rather anxious about her rough mom can’t miss this important call and as a result,
start that morning, Katie just can’t seem to get started. Which activity Katie just won’t be able to get the required poster in
did she do first on Saturday? Was it the park or was it lunch? With just time. Katie is unable to think of project tasks that she
3 minutes left, Katie begins scribbling down her story in pen. With an could do without the poster and quits working on the
unfinished, ink-written, jumbled story, and already on bad terms for project. She has difficulty falling asleep.
forgetting her homework, Katie knows the teacher is disappointed in her.
She slumps in her seat, resigned to lose participation points.

5 6
 TIP 2: Follow directions and improve
cognitive flexibility
TIPS TO HELP CHILDREN
WHO STRUGGLE WITH Use a planner or Nightly TO DO Pack only pencils in the most

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION list to document all assignments. accessible purse or bookbag.

Listen for key words in directions Schedule nightly homework

As a teacher, parent, friend, or relative of a child with executive and write the words on the paper. time and set phone alarm for 5
function difficulties, it’s important to know what you can do to help. minutes beforehand.

Let’s consider Katie’s challenges and strategies that could support Complete all homework at a clear When brainstorming, write ideas
her executive function skills. Once developed as a habit, Katie will desk so that all papers are visible in bullet points first without
and get put back into a homework concern for order or sentence
need and benefit from these strategies throughout her life. However, notebook. structure.
support from trusted family, friends, and teachers is needed to develop
the skills initially as sustained attention, instruction, organization,
social interaction, and stress can quickly become overwhelming for a
student such as Katie to develop.
TIP 3: Engage in social exchanges
appropriately

Explicitly teach conversational Ask a friend to give a nonverbal

TIP 1:
skills by practicing taking turns in signal when others are becoming
conversations. annoyed.
Create an effective morning routine
Role play at home to practice Point out body language to the
conversational skills and student in social situations and
interpreting body language. ask them to identify the emotion.

Complete many of the packing and Place the alarm across the room,
preparation tasks the night before; requiring the student to get out of bed
put the packed bookbag in the car. to turn off the alarm.

Be honest with required time needed

to get ready to leave the house each
Set a timer for five minutes before the
student should be in the car to help
manage time and remind the student
TIP 4: Complete long-term projects
morning; set the alarm with enough to finish the morning routine.
time to get ready.

On the day that a project is

assigned, read the requirements. Write all deadlines and work
Make a list of materials and sessions on a monthly calendar.
deadlines.

Share the calendar with a parent, Assign and focus on only one
EF coach, teacher, or trusted simple task related to the project
peer; ask this person to be your per night.
accountability person.
7 8
 SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION What to expect with specialized instruction:
AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
Specialized instruction for children who struggle with executive
function or other learning differences such as ADHD and dyslexia can Initial Assessment Research-based
be an extremely resourceful strategy to help build confidence and Approach
Instruction for children with
develop successful academic habits. At Hill Learning Center, we are
learning challenges begins with Through a multisensory
dedicated to providing each individual student with effective, research- an assessment to evaluate strategy rooted in the Orton-
based, specialized, and consistent instruction. the student’s strengths and Gillingham approach, our highly
weaknesses. We know that qualified educators focus their
every child starts at a different lessons on how to become a
place, so the initial assessment more effective learner, directly
Programs at Hill Learning Center with a focus on addressing executive function
helps to accurately track and
executive function instruction: monitor progress, regardless of skills and practices.
when the student joins.

Individual Attention Consistent, Familiar

and Instruction Environment
Students who struggle with Consistency in the classroom
Hill School Hill Summer
executive function significantly routine and in the educator that
benefit from the one-on-one is delivering the instruction,
or small-group instruction that creates a feeling of familiarity
is woven into all programs at for students with learning
Hill. Creating a comfortable and executive function
learning environment allows challenges. This environment
students to focus and actively ensures measurable progress
participate in instruction. This to transform students into
also helps educators pinpoint confident and independent
each student’s obstacles so learners.
that an individualized plan can
be created to address those
Small-group & Executive
obstacles.
Individual Function
Tutoring Workshops

9 10
 REFERENCES AND HELP

Hill Learning Center:

Hill Student Programs
Hill Learning System
Professional Development
Parent Resources

Special thanks to Geraldine Pesacreta, middle school faculty

member, for her work and presentation on Executive Function.

References: Learn More

A Guide to Executive Function
Tutoring for Children with Learning Differences hillcenter.org
3200 Pickett Road | Durham, NC 27705
[email protected]
Understood:
What is Executive Function?
Executive Functioning Strategies

Oxford Academic:
Executive Functions and Their Disorders

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