Solutions to Support Executive Function in Kids

1. Ask Your Primary Care Provider (PCP)

Your child’s primary care provider (PCP) can use developmental screening tools to see if executive function (EF) is a concern. A PCP can also help you to rule out medical concerns that can look like EF challenges.

Learn how to bring up a concern.

2. Find a Mental Health Professional

A mental health professional can help you to understand how EF issues are impacting your child. Your child’s mental health provider can help build lagging EF skills or act as a coach.

Learn how to choose a mental health provider to work with your family (guide) (podcast).

3. Work with an Occupational Therapist

Cognitive flexibility is a big part of EF challenges and occupational therapists (OTs) often have training to help build those skills. Some of the ways OTs help with cognitive flexibility is by helping to break down tasks and working on problem-solving skills.

Search the provider directory for occupational therapists or listen to this podcast to learn more about the ways OTs help with EF.

4. Add Structure, Routines and Visuals

EF helps us plan, prioritize and understand consequences - but those skills develop over time. Structure, routines and visuals can help your child until they develop the skills they need.

Learn how structure helps with this podcast or check out this how-to guide to get started creating your own visual schedule.

5. Build Exercise, Sleep and Healthy Diet into Daily Routines

Research has shown that exercise and healthy routines can improve working memory, cognitive flexibility and impulse control.

Search the provider directory for adapted/inclusive recreation or sports or listen to this podcast to learn more about healthy sleep routines.

6. Try Social Skills Training

Many children with EF challenges struggle with social skills. This happens because it can be hard for children to see different perspectives or because of poor impulse control. Many families benefit from speech therapy or counseling (where children can learn social skills 1:1), social skills groups or parent education on social skills.

Search the provider directory for speech therapists, counselors or social skills groups or listen to these podcasts to learn more about social skills.

7. Teach Emotion Regulation Skills

All children struggle with emotion regulation at some point, but for kids with EF challenges, managing big emotions can be especially challenging. That’s because kids with lagging EF skills can find it difficult to connect information (“am I hungry or mad?”) or may have poorer impulse control than their peers. To help, families often work with therapists to help kids develop skills.

Search the provider directory for social/emotional skills groups or learn how to choose a mental health provider for your family.

8. Solve Problems Collaboratively

Many children with lagging EF skills have challenging behaviors. These kids would do well if they could, but often have not developed the skills they need to succeed. Families who solve problems collaboratively with their children are able to work on developing these skills while improving challenging behaviors.

Learn more about Ross Greene’s Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model or listen to a podcast about CPS.

9. Communicate with School

Apart from time spent at home, children spend most of their time at school. Having good communication with your child’s school team can help school staff to support your child. Some children with EF challenges may also benefit from special education services.

Learn how to communicate better with your child’s school (guide) (podcast) or discover how to get started with special education.

10. Use Assistive Technology