Why Your Child's Executive Functioning Skills Aren't Fully Developed Yet

Good afternoon,

Have you ever wondered why your adolescent son or daughter seems to make impulsive decisions? Or why the "obvious" choice to you doesn't seem to obvious to them? Research has shown this is because their executive functioning skills haven't fully developed yet. In a recent article shared from KQED news they revealed, "a study of nearly 900 young people ages 8 to 22 found that the ability to control impulses, stay on task and make good decisions increased steadily over that span as the brain remodeled its information pathways to become more efficient."

“A child’s ability to run or to see is very well developed by the time they’re 8,” she says. “However, their ability to inhibit inappropriate responses is not something that’s well developed until well into the 20s.”

Photo credit: KQED News/npr.org

The results also suggest it may be possible to identify adolescents at risk of problems related to poor executive function, says Joshua Gordon, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which helped fund the study. These include “all kinds of disorders such as substance abuse, depression and schizophrenia,” he says.

The study is part of an effort to understand the brain changes underlying the development of executive function. It used a technology called diffusion imaging that reveals the fibers that make up the brain’s information highways." (To read the entire article click here.) 

At Linder Educational Coaching we understand that your child's executive functioning skills aren't all there yet, which is why we cater to students with ADD, ADHD, other LDs, behavioral issues and problems with executive functioning. If you are looking for help for your child in the Northern Virginia area, contact us today!

www.linderec.com