| Understanding Executive Functioning |
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by Dr. Adriane Maier, PhD, BCBA-D, LMHC Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders have executive functioning deficits that are often under-discussed when tied to understanding challenging behaviors. Executive functioning refers to the mental processes involved with goal-directed activity. These include the ability to maintain attention, control impulses and solve problems. To put it in perspective, consider, for example, that your goal is to get to work in the morning. To execute this goal all sorts of executive functioning abilities “kick-in.” We must first attend to our alarm clocks, control our impulse to hit snooze repetitively or worse, throw the clock out the window! And, we must problem solve along the way: Where are the car keys? What do I need to bring to work? In addition, along the drive, we are consciously or subconsciously planning ahead for what we need to do for the day so that as things arise, we are mentally prepared to manage a wide range of situations. As your goal of getting to work is underway, take a moment to think to yourself and imagine that something completely unexpected comes up in your morning that you hadn’t planned for (e.g., traffic jam, a sick child, an unexpected appointment at work, etc.). When unexpected events like these happen we often feel a “zing” of momentary anxiety followed by a period of disorganization as we cognitively acclimate to the unexpected. After a brief moment, the “zing” begins to fade and executive functioning takes over. The anxiety subsides, we create new sub-goals and we solve the problems needed to obtain the primary goal of getting to work. In children with autism, however, this “zing” that occurs in response to unexpected change in routines or plans is exacerbated tremendously and the anxiety can become overwhelming; resulting in a breakdown in the executive functioning process. In children on the autism spectrum, this breakdown can manifest itself in behavioral “meltdowns,” rigidity tied to transitions, difficulties following through with directions/remembering what to do and general disorganization. Many challenging behaviors can be attributed to executive functioning deficits and should not be over-looked. To support these challenges, make daily routines as consistent as possible and allow extra time for information to be processed. Headline changes in routines or schedules in advance as much as possible. Utilize visual schedules to help them organize their day in a concrete manner so that when a transition is required they will have had time to process and prepare themselves. Help them visualize alternatives to situations that are known to be problematic or provide a favorite item for them to carry to ease the anxiety associated with a particular transition. Timers can be helpful to signal that an activity/event is going to start or end. Most behaviors tied to executive functioning can be substantially minimized when proactively addressed. Just understanding executive functioning can help take the “zing” out of your child’s day as well as your own! |