Why Executive Functioning Matters

At Liddane, we want our tutors and our students to develop and share skills that will support the efforts of each. That is why most of our tutors are trained in executive function and why we work with many adults and students on how to make the most of their brains.

Executive function skills are a set of cognitive processes that help individuals plan, monitor, and execute their goals. It is a crucial aspect of our daily lives that enables us to think, act, and solve problems. Foundational skills such as response inhibition, working memory, emotional control, flexibility, sustained attention, and task initiation are essential for developing executive functioning abilities. These skills allow us to focus on relevant sensory information, organize our environment or schedule, inhibit behavior that flouts social expectations and norms, plan for the future, mentally evaluate the possible outcomes of different problem-solving strategies, choose actions based on the likelihood of positive outcomes, estimate time and effort necessary to achieve an outcome, and initiate tasks necessary to carry out decisions.

Advanced executive functioning skills such as planning, prioritizing, organization, time management goal-directed persistence, and metacognition are necessary for living independently and competently. These skills enable us to learn new information, keep new or recent information in our minds, and use this information to solve problems of everyday life. They also help us improve our abilities to stay focused, plan ahead, regulate our emotions, think flexibly and creatively. In conclusion, executive functioning is a vital aspect of our cognitive abilities that helps us all thrive.