EXECUTIVE FUNCTION DEVELOPMENT IN TYPICAL CHILDREN

Rhonda DeYoung

Introduction

Numerous skills are defined as Executive Functions (EF)

These skills help a person to: Form a task Focus on task Fulfill the task

EF is derived from the frontal lobe of the brain

Located behind the forehead (Powell & Voeller, 2004)

Defining executive functions Five crucial skills that sum up EF

abilities 1. Working memory helps to:

Keep track of information Recall information Remember how to conduct a procedure(Best, Miller & Jones, 2009)

Defining executive functions Five crucial skills that sum up EF

abilities 2. Inhibition helps to:

Keep control of self Appropriately deal with frustration Focus attention when working on tasks(Best, Miller & Jones, 2009; Ciairano, Visu-Petra & Settanni,

2007; Nilsen & Graham, 2009; Riggs, Jahromi, Razza, Dillworth-Bart & Mueller, 2006)

Defining executive functions Five crucial skills that sum up EF

abilities 3. Shifting helps to:

Stop one procedure Move on to a new procedure Adapt to change(Ciairano, Visu-Petra & Settanni, 2007)

Defining executive functions Five crucial skills that sum up EF

abilities 4. Attention helps to:

Keep on-task Ignore distractions(Best, Miller & Jones, 2009)

Defining executive functions Five crucial skills that sum up EF

abilities 5. Motor skills help to:

Control body movement Control sway

(Miyake, Friedman, Shah, Rettinger & Hegarty, 2001; Reilly, Van Donkelaar, Saavedra & Woollacott, 2008)

Typical EF development Major parts of the frontal lobe:

Are present at birth Connect with other parts of the brain through:

Experience Maturing

Develop throughout childhood and the teen years

EF Skills each arrive in their own unique timeframe

(Conklin, Luciana, Hooper & Yarger, 2007; Stuss, 1992)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Cognitive Development

PreschoolChildhoodAdo-les-cence

EF Skill

Am

ou

nt

of

Ab

ilit

y

(Best, Miller & Jones, 2009; Davidson, Amso, Anderson & Diamond, 2006; Liston, Watts, Tottenham, Davidson, Niogi & Ulug, 2006; Powell & Voeller, 2004; Reilly, Van Donkelaar, Saavedra & Wollacott, 2008)

Delayed EF development

Typical children can be behind average peers in the development of EF

Cognitive crutches can help delayed EF child keep up with average peers in the classroom

(Best, Miller & Jones, 2009; Blair, 2002; Brocki & Bohlin, 2004; Meltzer, 2007)

Deficits and problem behavior Possible reasons for EF developmental

delays in typical children Preterm birth Frontostriatal connectivity Not all is known why delay occurs

Deficits can cause problems in the classroom Starting, staying focused on and competing tasks(Cornelieke, Aarnoundse-Moens, Smidts, Oosterlaan, Duivenvoodren &

Weisglas-Kuperus, 2009)

Delayed EF development

Delay in EF development can be 30% that of typical development 10-year-old cognitively behaves like a 7-

year-old Empirical research of EF loss from

dementia can be applied to delayed EF children

New research on delayed EF development can look at how to help children in the classroom

(McCloskey, 2009)

What can be done? Identify delayed EF children A clinical label of delayed EF

Often mislabeled as learning dysfunction “Classroom crutches” Allow new research in the matter Provide hope for children that EF skill are still growing Help others to understand that the cognitive skills are

still growing in these children (Carroll & Reppucci, 1978)

The need for a label of delayed EF is prudent for the child’s well being both in the classroom and in social settings.

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