Education

Education

Ages: 18 - 21

Executive Functioning and Young Adults: Impact on Education and Skills

Executive Functioning and Young Adults: Impact on Education and Skills

Many autistic people have challenges with what are called executive function skills. Executive functioning refers to a set of brain functions for managing your daily living including working memory, organizational skills, flexible thinking and self control.

Some people may have a level of executive function challenges that may be diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which involve difficulties in maintaining appropriate focus to the right things (such as school activities), processing information, impulsiveness and/or needing constant motion. For more details on executive functioning, see this article from Understood.

Discuss strategies to help you with your executive functioning issues with school and your therapists. For example if you have a hard time focusing on your assignments and studying, or if once you’ve completed your homework you don’t turn in your assignments on time with the right process your teacher or professor requires.

Do you have a system for keeping track of your assignments and upcoming tests? Studying and test taking skills are often challenging for autistic young adults with executive functioning challenges. The resources below will help you with ideas and learning more.

Additional Resources

Executive Function Skills by Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)

Executive Function & Self-Regulation from the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child

Executive Functions from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health

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