Caring Safe Schools Ontario

Executive Function Deficitsn The term “executive function” is used to describe a set of cognitive processesthat help students connect past experiences with present actions. Students useexecutive function when they perform such activities as planning, organizing,strategizing, and paying attention to and remembering details. Executive functionalso enables students to manage their emotions and monitor their thoughts inorder to work more efficiently and effectively (Guare & Dawson, 2004).According to Brown (2006, p. 39), there are six clusters of cognitivefunctions that are affected by executive functions:1. Activation: organizing, prioritizing, and activating to work2. Focus: focusing, sustaining, and shifting attention to tasks3. Effort: regulating alertness, sustaining alertness, and achievingappropriate speed in execution4. Emotion: managing frustration and regulating emotions5. Memory: utilizing working memory and accessing recall6. Action: monitoring and self-regulating behaviour.Students with executive function deficits have difficulty with planning, organizing,and managing time and space. They also show weakness with working memory,which is an important tool in guiding one’s actions. Problems with executivefunction may become evident when a student is:✦✦planning a project;✦✦comprehending how much time a project will take to complete;✦✦telling a story (orally or in writing);✦✦attempting to communicate details in an organized, sequential manner;✦✦applying mental strategies involved in memorizing and retrievinginformation from memory;✦✦initiating activities or tasks;✦✦generating ideas independently;✦✦retaining information while doing something with it.Understanding Student Behaviour25