Executive function and autism are often said together in the same breath. It’s common for those with autism to also have executive function disorder.
Living with executive function can make relatively simple tasks seem impossibly complicated. Even a task as relatively simple as getting dressed in the morning can feel overwhelming. How can autistic persons with executive function disorder be helped?
We’ll look at what executive function is, how it affects those with autism, and what strategies and treatments are available.
What does executive function mean?
Executive functioning skills are a set of cognitive skills – mental skills – that let us to manage the tasks we do every day. Executive function helps us prioritise, self-monitor, keep to task, manage time and stay focused.
Neuroscientist Bill Jenkins likens executive functioning to an internal “air traffic control system”.
The brain’s executive function is like an air traffic controller, managing multiple tasks simultaneously. It enables us to focus on different things at once, make decisions, track errors, adjust plans as needed, and avoid impulsive choices when frustrated.
Our brain’s executive function is needed to coordinate everything that is happening in our brain to make a task happen.
Let’s take a closer look at the individual skills that make up executive function.
What are executive function skills?
Executive function is a set of skills that work together. These skills include:
- Planning. Decisions about what to do, when to do it.
- Organising. Getting what is needed for the task, organising steps in a sequence.
- Working memory. Keeping track of steps as the task is performed, remembering what was done already, and what needs to be done next.
- Inhibition. Self control to avoid distractions and stay focused.
- Cognitive flexibility. Adapting to unexpected situations.
- Problem-solving. Troubleshooting problems and issues that come up.
Something as everyday as planning and cooking a meal requires executive function skills – deciding what to cook, organising the steps of the recipe, keeping track of everything while cooking, self-control to stay focused, and the ability to adapt and troubleshoot if an ingredient is missing or something burns.
As you can see, executive function is not an abstract concept, it’s a suite of skills we use everyday. How do poor executive functioning skills particularly affect those with autism?
Executive function difficulties for those with autism
Those with autism may find executive function difficulties particularly challenging, especially when they are interacting with others.
- Communication. Executive function difficulties can make communication extra challenging, as working memory is need to remember what was just said – and inhibition is needed to avoid saying inappropriate things.
- Planning. While many with autism are highly intelligent, planning can be difficult. They may find the complexity of the task overwhelming, or find it hard to focus on the goal of the plan, rather than the details.
- Daily tasks. If someone has autism, they often have excellent memories for specific facts. However, many daily tasks require working memory, which is more short-term. Getting dressed, doing housework, making lunch require temporary storage of information such as a sequence of steps, which those with autism might struggle with.
- Impulse control. Sensory overstimulation from the environment can make it hard for those with autism to focus, and thus make controlling impulses hard. This can lead to being easily distracted.
- Attention. People with autism often have a great ability to focus, but they may experience difficulties in directing their focus in the right way. If they have sensory issues, for example, their focus might be directed towards the ticking of a clock or the intensity of overhead lighting, while they cannot direct their attention to the next step in the task they need to perform.
- Verbal reasoning. People with autism may struggle to understand and process verbal concepts. This can mean remembering and following instructions – often crucial to executive functioning – is a lot more challenging.
- Rigid thinking. It can be difficult for people with autism to change their way of thinking. This may make it hard for them to adapt to new situations that come up – in other words, cognitive flexibility. In any task, the ability to adapt is important, and is key to executive functioning.
Strategies for executive function and autism
- Use visual aids to teach organisation. If your child is autistic, and they struggle to remember what goes in their school backpack, having a picture of all the items that go in the backpack, and what order they go in, can help. If your student is autistic, and you want them to learn the steps for washing their hands. show each step of washing hands with pictures.
- Break tasks up. Defining the exact steps in a tasks will make it much more achievable. The examples above about visual aids show how to break tasks up visually. For another example, let’s say an autistic student with EF difficulties has an assignment in class to create an informational poster about the solar system. This student will need this assignment broken down into more discreet, explicit steps than other students. For example, task breakdown and planning, step-by-step- poster creation, and a task review checklist to make sure nothing has been missed.
- Have designated places for items. By having everything in a defined place, an autistic person with EF will find completing tasks easier, as it reduces mental strain with less decision-making & easier item retrieval, it creates predictability by fostering routine and order. In practice, when your child goes to pack their backpack, if they already know where all the items are, they’ll find the tasks easier.
- Don’t helicopter. It’s tempting to always be present to assist your child or student through a task – you just want them to do well. However, taking a step back and letting them work through it themselves gives them an opportunity to grow.
- Set aside time for tasks and learning new skills. Putting systems into place and having routines can be useful so that tasks aren’t left until the last minute to be dealt with at a stage when the situation feels overwhelming. If an autistic person can’t face making breakfast, leaving them feeling drained and anxious, then perhaps they could prepare breakfast in advance. Seemingly simple, proactive, and routine steps can create huge changes when it comes to EF.
Free Executive function info pack
Everything you need to know about executive functioning in one easy package!
- the basics of executive function
- 10 tips for those with executive function difficulties
- resources to help executive function
Executive function skill training
Aside from the above strategies, you can leverage educational technology to train executive function skills with our 6 month cognitive & executive function program.
Our cognitive skills and executive function program is designed by neuroscientists. We use Fast ForWord and Cogmed to train these skills.
Fast ForWord is a set of computer programs designed by neuroscientists, and more than 250 research studies have been conducted on this program. Fast ForWord trains auditory memory (important for following instructions), auditory processing, following instructions, attention and other skills.
Cogmed was created by neuroscientists in Sweden, is used worldwide and is backed by 100+ published articles. This program is proven to improve working memory, which is crucial to executive functioning. Cogmed is like a personal trainer for working memory and attention.
Changing the brain can’t be done overnight, but it absolutely can be done. Improving executive functioning takes daily practice, individualised instruction and engaging exercises to create significant and lasting improvements.
If you want to talk to one of Sonic Learning’s health professionals about how our online programs can help you improve executive function, please reach out to us.
Learn more & contact us
Download Executive Function info pack
Everything you need to know, including the basics of executive function and tips for teaching students who struggle with executive function.
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This free telephone consultation can help to answer any questions you have about our services. At Sonic Learning we are all experienced teachers and health professionals so parents tend to find it very beneficial to be able to discuss their concerns and receive guidance from our team.
