The capacity to estimate how much time one has, how to allocate it, and how to stay within time limits and deadlines. It also involves a sense that time is important. A young child can complete a short job within a time limit set by an adult. A high school student can establish a schedule to meet task deadlines.
The ability to create and maintain systems to keep track of information or materials. A young child can, with a reminder, put toys in a designated place. An adolescent can organize and locate sports equipment.
The ability to create a roadmap to reach a goal or to complete a task. It also involves being able to make decisions about what’s important to focus on and what’s not important. A young child, with coaching, can think of options to settle a peer conflict. A teenager can formulate a plan to get a job.
The ability to begin projects without undue procrastination, in an efficient and timely fashion. A young child is able to start a chore or assignment right after instructions are given. A high school student does not wait until the last minute to begin a project.
The capacity to maintain attention to a situation or task in spite of distractibility, fatigue, or boredom. Completing a 5-minute chore with occasional supervision is an example of sustained attention in a younger child. A teenager is able to attend to homework, with short breaks, for one to two hours.
The ability to manage emotions in order to achieve goals, complete tasks, or control and direct behavior. A young child with this skill is able to recover from a disappointment in a short time. A teenager is able to manage the anxiety of a game or test and still perform.
The ability to hold information in memory while performing complex tasks. It incorporates the ability to draw on past learning or experiences to apply to the situation at hand or to project into the future. A young child, for example can hold in mind and follow 1-2 step directions while a middle school child can remember the expectations of multiple teachers.
The capacity to think before you act—this ability to resist the urge to say or do something allows us the time to evaluate a situation and how our behavior might impact it. In a young child, waiting for a short period without being disruptive is an example of response inhibition while in an adolescent it would be demonstrated by accepting a referee’s call without an argument.
The capacity to have a goal, follow through to the completion of the goal, and not be put off by or distracted by competing interested. A first grader can complete a job in order to get to recess. A teenager can earn and save money over time to buy something of importance.
The ability to stand back and take a birds-eye view of oneself in a situation. It is an ability to observe how you problem solve. It also includes self-monitoring and self evaluative skills. A young child can change behavior in response to feedback from an adult. A teenager can monitor and critique their performance and improve it by observing others who are more skilled.
The ability to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new information or mistakes. It relates to an adaptability to changing conditions. A young child can adjust to a change in plans without major distress. A high school student can accept an alternative such as a different job when the first choice is not available.
The ability to thrive in stressful situations and to cope with uncertainty, change, and performance demands.
Dawson, Peg, and Richard Guare. Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: a Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention. Guilford Press, 2018.
