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Executive Function Training

Executive function training involves simple strategies to improve self-control, organization, memory and time management. Executive functions are the processes in our brain that control planning, managing tasks, transitioning to different activities and prioritizing. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, people diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, have more difficulty with executive function abilities. Children and adults diagnosed with ADHD gain from executive function training.

  1. Basic Strategies

    • Break down complicated tasks into small steps. Give directions to children in simple step-by-step form. Stay focused by setting a kitchen timer for 20 or 30 minutes, and maintain concentration for that length of time. Take a break as a reward after finishing the focused task. Arrange for transition time by thinking through each shift to a new activity. Stop and think before speaking or acting impulsively.

    Time Management

    • Create checklists and to do lists, adding time estimates for each task. Program your cell phone, computer or watch alarm as appointment reminders or to keep track of time. Explore the best use of calendars, organizers, computers or personal digital assistants, or PDAs. Set an example for children, showing how you use these tools to manage time. For schoolchildren, make note of the due date of every assignment at the top of the homework page.

    Workspace Management

    • Minimize both visual distractions and noise in your workspace. If possible, work in a private space, or set up a carrel. Lightweight, portable carrels add temporary privacy to any desk or work space. Online school suppliers offer study carrels. Pare down clutter in a home or work office. Help young students organize their desk using color coded files, markers and calendars. Plan ahead to have appropriate supplies and materials on hand before beginning a new project.

    Memory Building

    • At business meetings or in school, write down all instructions, or ask for written instructions along with verbal directions. Stick to a consistent routine, so that you move swiftly and smoothly from one chore to another. Challenge your memory with mind-building games, word puzzles, math puzzles and reading.

    Physical Exercise

    • Older people can maintain strong cognitive abilities with regular physical exercise. As reported in "The New York Times," older people begin to lose executive function skills by their seventies. Physical exercise improves executive function in the elderly. Active elderly people display better executive function than inactive seniors. Elders show improved executive function with as little as 30 to 60 minutes of brisk walking two to three times each week.

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