How can you help your AuDHD child or teen improve their executive functioning and why is it so important?
Also, learn about how Medicaid is disclosing and using your autistic child’s private health information
May 13, 2025
Does your child struggle with planning, organizing, remembering thoughts, avoiding distractions and starting tasks and projects on their own? If so, they may have difficulties with executive function skills. Many people with autism and/or ADHD can insufficient in these crucial skills. Researchers believe it is because of their genetic make-up. On the positive side, these skills can be learned.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines executive function as “the group of complex mental processes and cognitive abilities (such as working memory, impulse inhibition, and reasoning) that control the skills (such as organizing tasks, remembering details, managing time, and solving problems) required for goal-directed behavior.”
In other words, these are necessary skills for being successful in school, work and “adulting” in the future. If our kids are struggling with these skills, it’s so important that we as parents, caregivers and teachers work with them to improve their executive function capabilities.
What are the primary aspects of executive function?
Executive function has several primary aspects. Those include:
· Planning – Skills needed to think of a project or task that needs to be done and then break it into smaller steps to complete the project/task by a deadline.
· Working Memory – Ability to remember short-term thoughts and information needed to complete a task or function.
· Problem Solving – A key capability needed to identify a problem and solutions to solve it.
· Reasoning – Ability to comprehend, analyze and think critically about problems or concepts and be able to relay them verbally to others.
· Attention – Skills that allow a person to focus on the task at hand and recall information from working memory to be able to complete it.
· Initiation – Ability to self-start an activity, task or project.
· Inhibition – The ability to tune out distractions or thoughts that get in the way of completing a task. This is basically impulse control.
· Cognitive flexibility – Skills that allow someone to “go with flow” or adjust their plans or thinking when needed.
Research conducted in both autism and ADHD revealed a lack of executive function skills in both people with autism and/or ADHD. Researchers have theorized that this is result of the genetic make-up of autistics or those with ADHD.
I know our son J has struggled with executive function since he was young. Through working with him at home and at school on these skills, he continues to get better (even as a young adult), especially with planning, working memory, initiation and organizing. He still really struggles with problem solving, flexibility, inhibition and attention. Improving his executive function is a big focus on my work with him and needs these skills to become more independent.
Want to take steps to help your child improve these essential skills? In this week’s featured post on Autism & ADHD Connection, read about 12 ways you can help your child improve their executive function skills as well as why it’s so important to help them improve these essential skills in life (especially as they get older).
I hope this post will provide you with some new ways that you can help your child!
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Inspirational Quote
“Autistic people see the world in a unique way that’s different from everyone else, and that’s something to embrace.”
– Chris Bonnello
Resources Available
If your autistic child has a Medicaid waiver or has Medicaid, you have a right to know how your child’s private health information is being used. I think this is especially important as HHS is creating a database of their information for their autism study, and they have not been forthcoming about whether they will include personal identifiable information or anonymize it. To find out more about how they use PHI, see the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services privacy disclosure and find out how you can request how they are using your child’s information: https://security.cms.gov/policy-guidance/cms-privacy-program-plan#accounting-of-disclosures.
Take care of yourself this week.
Tamara McGuire
P.S. Follow me on Bluesky and/or Pinterest. As a certified financial educator, I also write on Medium about personal finance: Tamara McGuire – Medium.
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