Understanding Executive Functions

Executive functioning skills are at the heart of ADHD challenges. These are the mental abilities that help us plan, stay organized, regulate emotions, and complete tasks. For teens with ADHD, these skills develop years behind their peers—which explains so many of the struggles we see in school, at home, and in daily life.

The good news? Executive functions can be strengthened. And today, I’m sharing 10 essential executive skills your teen needs—along with a science-backed strategy to improve each one.

🔟 Key Executive Functions & How to Support Them:

✅ 1. Cognitive Flexibility (Adapting to change)
Try this: Give advance notice of changes + offer soft choices to help them adjust. (Example: "Plan A got canceled—do you want to do Plan B or C?")

✅ 2. Emotional Regulation (Managing emotions)
Try this: Stay calm and imperturbable when your teen escalates. Ask, "What do you need?" to shift their brain from fight-or-flight into logical thinking.

✅ 3. Metacognition (Self-awareness & reflection)
Try this: Use the "How Exactly Did You Do That?" strategy to help them reflect on successes and problem-solve.

✅ 4. Organization (Keeping track of things & ideas)
Try this: Use dedicated folders (one per subject) and create a structured homework station outside of their bedroom.

✅ 5. Impulse Control (Thinking before acting)
Try this: Teach box breathing (4 seconds inhale, hold, exhale, hold) and role-play scenarios ahead of time to prepare for social interactions.

✅ 6. Planning & Prioritization (Breaking down tasks)
Try this: Help them chunk assignments into bite-sized tasks and write them down in a physical planner (not just digital!).

✅ 7. Task Initiation (Starting work without procrastination)
Try this: Use the "Now or Never" method—train their brain to take immediate action before overthinking. Start with small tasks and work up.

✅ 8. Sustained Focus (Staying engaged despite distractions)
Try this: Use the Pomodoro technique—set a 25-minute timer to focus on work, followed by short breaks.

✅ 9. Time Management (Understanding how long tasks take)
Try this: Make time visible with timers, schedules, and alarms. Have them estimate: "How many Pomodoros will this assignment take?"

✅ 10. Working Memory (Holding and using short-term information)
Try this: Support them with written instructions, checklists, and external reminders—don’t rely on them to remember multiple steps at once

✅ To dive deeper into these strategies, watch the full video here:
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