Executive functions are the mental skills we use every day. They help us get things done. We use them for setting goals, planning, prioritising and remembering things. They develop over time.
If your child is autistic, they may find executive functioning hard. That means they can find it difficult to do some tasks that seem simple to other people. But not all autistic people find this is the case.
A child or young person who finds executive functioning hard might have difficulty:
Non-profit Understood has a ‘Day in the Life‘ page, about a child with executive function disorder. Read the story to see how some difficulties can show up in daily life.
You might see a younger child or toddler:
You might see them:
You might see them: