Executive functioning difficulties in children and young people

Executive functions are the mental skills people use every day to get things done. These skills help people to plan, prioritise and remember things. Children start developing executive functions from a young age.

Some children and young people find executive functioning harder than others. They can find it difficult to do tasks that seem simple to other people. If your child has executive functioning difficulties, there are ways you can help them manage their daily tasks.

Anyone can struggle with executive functioning, but it’s more common in neurodivergent children. Difficulties with executive function are typical in autistic children and those with ADHD. Children with dyslexia or dyspraxia may also find these skills challenging. Stress, brain injuries and mental health can also impact executive function.

Some people refer to difficulties with executive function as ‘executive dysfunction’ or ‘executive function disorder’. These aren’t diagnosed as medical disorders in the UK but might be described as part of another diagnosis.

A child or young person who finds executive functioning hard might have difficulty:

• paying attention
• showing self-control
• managing emotions
• holding information in their working memory
• switching from one activity to another
• getting started on tasks
• managing their time
• making sure they have the things they need for what they’re doing
• keeping track of what they are doing
• finishing projects or tasks
• thinking before acting
• waiting their turn

You might see signs your child is struggling at home or they might be more noticeable at school or nursery.

At home, you might notice your child:

• gets easily distracted with tasks
• focuses on the least important thing that you have said
• is messy or untidy
• panics when there is a change in routine or the order of activities
• sticks with a plan even if the plan isn’t working
• finds it hard to make plans with friends as they can’t organise it
• gets very upset over things that seem minor
• seems to lose track of time
• acts impulsively showing little awareness of risk

Sometimes the signs are noticeable from an early age. Younger children and toddlers might struggle to follow instructions. They might get frustrated easily and be more likely to have tantrums and meltdowns.

The neurodiversity support organisation, Understood has a page describing a day in the life of a child with executive functioning challenges.

If your child struggles with executive functions at school, this might look like they are being lazy, not listening or not joining in. They might:

• find it hard to start or finish tasks without support
• bring the wrong books to school
• find work in groups difficult
• get caught up in the less important details first
• have trouble finishing tests or tasks on time

If your child is struggling at nursery, school or college you can speak to their teacher or Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). They can make a plan to support your child.

If you want to explore why your child might have executive functioning difficulties, you can speak to your health visitor (if your child is under 5) or your GP.

They might refer your child for an assessment. You can:

• read our information about autism assessments
• read NHS information about ADHD assessments

There are different ways you can support your child, depending on what they are struggling with. You might need to try a few things to see what works. Once you find strategies that work, you can share these with your child’s teachers and other caregivers.

Attention and staying on track

If your child struggles with things like homework tasks and seems to be easily distracted, you could:

• set tasks for times of day that work best for your child
• remove things that are likely to cause distraction
• check in with them to make sure they’re on task

Thinking before acting

If your child seems to act impulsively without thinking things through, you could:

• encourage them to spend a few minutes thinking before starting something
• suggest options and discuss the pros and cons with them

Starting a task

If your child gets overwhelmed by tasks and seems to find it hard to get on with them independently, you could:

• encourage them to think about the options and decide which one they think is best
• help them to set themselves specific targets to finish the task

It can help to encourage them to ask themself questions like:

• Why am I doing this task?
• What’s the goal?
• How will I reach my goal?
• What can I do to help myself?

Planning

If your child struggles with planning, you could:

• break down activities into smaller steps
• make a to-do list and tick things off when complete
• make a timeline if the task will take a long time to complete

Being flexible and problem-solving

If your child finds flexibility and problem solving hard, you could:

• practice talking about what they are doing, what worked well and what could have been done differently
• prepare them for possible changes that may be coming
• give warnings when the task is coming to an end, so they are mentally prepared
• help them to consider different outcomes using social stories

It can also help to plan alternatives in case things don’t go as expected. For example if you’re planning an activity, have one option for wet weather and one for dry. That way they know the activity will be one of the 2 options.

Page last reviewed: September 2025
Next review due: September  2028