The pandemic is...a good time to develop executive function skills?!?!

Schools are closed for in-person instruction, we must stay at home, stay away from others, and find a new routine for our daily lives. Perhaps there is something positive to come from the radical shift in our day-to-day behavior. Currently accepted theories in cognitive psychology agree that our behavior influences how our brains are wired. We see this demonstrated through learning; what feels difficult at first becomes more fluid with practice. This is also the foundation upon which the evidence based cognitive-behavior therapy is built.

One crucial set of cognitive functions are known as “executive functions.” Check out this great video by Sprouts explaining executive functions in more detail.


Here are the basics:
1. This is the part of the brain responsible for directing our attention, thoughts, emotions, and actions. Think “self-control.”
2. Those with strong executive functions experience a variety of positive life outcomes including physical and mental health, effective relationships, higher academic performance, and job success.

As noted by the creator of the Sprouts video and supported by current research, executive functions are shaped largely during early childhood (and continue through late adolescence). However, cognitive neuroscience shows us that the brain has plasticity, meaning that it changes, throughout our lifespan in response to new situations.

So which behaviors promote healthy executive functions?
1. Free play
2. Games and sports
3. Playing an instrument
4. Physical movement (this list is not exhaustive).
These are all activities that our current circumstances allow plenty of time to engage in. So, let’s encourage our brains to re-wire through this period toward more developed executive functions, and improved outcomes down the road.

If you suspect your child may have difficulties with executive functions, there are many books written for parents, including “Smart but Scattered” and “Organizing the Disorganized Child.”


References used in writing this blog piece:

McCloskey, G. (2011) Executive functions: A general overview. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. http://www.fasp.org/PDF_Files/School_Neuropsychology/Executive_Functions-A_General_Overview_McCloskey.pdf

Diamond, A. (2014) Want to optimize executive functions and academic outcomes? Minnesota Symposium on Child Psychology (37) pp. 205–232. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4210770/#__ffn_sectitle



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