What is Executive Functioning?

Executive functioning skills are like the “air traffic control system” of the brain. They help children:

• Pay attention

• Start and finish tasks

• Remember instructions

• Manage emotions and behavior

• Plan, organize, and problem-solve

When a child has difficulties in these areas, daily routines like homework, getting ready for school, or following multi-step directions may feel overwhelming.

How an OT Can Help

Occupational therapists look at how executive functioning challenges affect your child’s daily life—at home, school, and in the community. Then, they create strategies and supports to build independence and confidence.

However, before building advanced executive functioning skills like planning or time management, Occupational Therapists work with children to strengthen the underlying building blocks that support executive functioning:

1. Attention & Focus

• Activities that strengthen sustained and selective attention
• Minimizing distractions in the environment

2. Sensory Processing

• Helping children regulate their energy and emotions
• Using movement, calming, or alerting strategies to get “ready to learn”

3. Emotional Regulation

• Teaching children how to recognize feelings and use coping tools
• Practicing strategies to manage frustration or big emotions

4. Self-Awareness

• Helping children notice their own strengths and challenges
• Encouraging reflection on what strategies help them succeed

5. Motor Skills & Body Awareness

• Supporting posture and endurance for learning activities
• Strengthening fine and gross motor coordination so tasks like writing, cutting, or organizing materials become less effortful

By addressing these foundations, OTs set the stage for higher-level executive functioning skills to grow. 

OTs support:

1. Organization & Planning

• Breaking large tasks into smaller steps
• Using checklists, visual schedules, or planners
• Color coding schoolwork or supplies

2. Time Management

• Practicing with timers or alarms to stay on track
• Teaching how to estimate how long a task will take
• Building routines for morning, homework, and bedtime

3. Working Memory

• Playing memory games to practice recall
• Teaching note-taking or rehearsal strategies
• Using visuals to support remembering instructions

4. Self-Regulation & Flexibility

• Practicing calming strategies (deep breathing, movement breaks)
• Learning to pause before reacting
• Role-playing “what if” scenarios to build flexibility

5. Task Initiation & Follow-Through

• Creating structured routines for starting homework or chores
• Using motivational systems to encourage task completion

Practicing “first-then” strategies to build persistence

Practice using the Tools!

• Visual schedules and checklists
• Sensory strategies (movement breaks, fidgets, quiet spaces)
• Organizational systems (binders, folders, planners)
• Apps or timers for reminders and task management
• Games and activities that strengthen planning, memory, and focus

OTs connect skill-building with real-life routines. Instead of just practicing abstract exercises, your child learns strategies while:

• Getting dressed
• Organizing their backpack
• Completing homework
• Participating in play and social activities

This makes the skills practical, meaningful, and long-lasting.

Executive functioning skills take time and practice to develop. With support from an OT, children can learn strategies that help them grow in independence, confidence, and success at home and school.

If you reside in Mountain View, California or the surrounding areas and interested in occupational therapy services for your child?