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Key Messages: Executive Function
▪ Executive Function Skills are critical to success in and outside of school.
▪ They do not finish developing until around 25 years of age. 1
▪ Executive Function Skills are nearly always the issue when a child is struggling.
Some neurotypes are naturally weaker in some Executive Function Skills, whilst
2 stronger in other areas of cognition. This is just the way their brain works.
Big differences between strengths and difficulties is known as a ‘Spiky Profile’.
When a person has weaker Executive Functioning, it is harder for them to hold and
process instructions, focus attention, be flexible, manage impulses and regulate 3
emotions - however much they desired and promised to do well.
4 Punishing a child for their words or actions that arose due to weak Executive
Functioning will not improve their skills. It is likely to exacerbate their problems.
We can help children build their Executive Function Skills through teaching,
rehearsal and practice. Some children will also need help in finding scaffolds and 5
strategies to support weaker Executive Functioning.
