Imagine that you are planning your weekend. You sit down and make a list of the chores you need to complete, the events you have said you will attend, and the things you would like to do with any extra time you have left. You decide to cook spaghetti this weekend, but remember that for your recipe, you will need to make a trip to the store. Once you write down your grocery list, you find yourself looking at an impressive list of chores to occupy you this weekend:
- Sweep/Mop/Vacuum
- Buy groceries
- Do laundry
- Clean the kitchen
- Wash dishes
- Clean the bathroom
When looking at a list like this, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Most people have a process for deciding what to do and when and how to organize lists like these into an appropriate daily schedule. Did you know you have a set of skills that helps you organize tasks, plan, prioritize, and self-monitor your success in tasks like these? These skills are called executive functioning skills.
Executive functioning skills are skills that work together to help us achieve goals. These skills are housed in the frontal lobe of the brain and include many of the following skills:
- Initiation
- Working Memory
- Shifting
- Self-monitoring
- Inhibition
- Planning
- Organizing
- Emotional control
- Self-advocacy
Our executive functioning skills help us accomplish tasks by focusing on a goal we want to accomplish, deciding how we will accomplish that goal by making a strategy or list of steps to complete, recalling what steps are needed, and self-monitoring how you complete each step.
How can executive functioning skills be disordered or delayed?
Some people are more likely to struggle with these types of skills. People with ADHD and learning disabilities may have reduced executive functioning skills. Any type of neurological damage, such as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke, may also result in impaired executive functioning skills.
How can this affect speech and language development and use?
This is such an essential question!! We use our executive functioning skills to initiate, organize, plan, and complete all tasks. Any deficits in executive functioning could greatly affect language skills. Here are a few examples of ways you or your child/teen may show signs of executive functioning weaknesses:
- Poor recall of directions and completion of multi-step directions
- Difficulty starting school projects/homework without support
- Constantly submitting assignments late or not at all
- Difficulty making it to appointments, work, or school on time regularly
- Poor writing skills (especially when writing and organizing writing assignments/papers)
- Difficulty reacting appropriately in play with peers (as a result of difficulty with impulsivity)
- Poor awareness of when things are said that are inappropriate or hurtful (due to poor self-monitoring and awareness of the environment/situational context)
Next Steps?
If you suspect that you struggle with deficits in executive functioning skills, an evaluation with a credentialed speech therapist is a good place to start. It is also essential that you mention these concerns with the therapist at your evaluation to ensure that these skills be assessed along with any underlying language, articulation, or social skills problems. These are the skills that underly all language skills, but they can be easily overlooked in an evaluation.
Brooke Sorrells, M.S., CCC-SLP
References:
- https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/executive-function
- Executive Functioning: Targeting Students’ Skills through an Interdisciplinary Lens; CEU Course; Presenter: Katrina Fulcher-Rood, PhD, CCC-SLP; Pamela Schuetze, PhD; Kathy Doody, PhD; 2023