What is Executive Functioning?
Executive functions are those that serve one’s ability to independently organize behaviors so as to successfully complete a task or solve a problem (e.g., planning, organization, self-monitoring, initiation). Whereas cognitive functions refer to one’s ability to do a task, executive functions relate to how one does the task. Although executive functions underlie the symptoms of ADHD, executive dysfunction is not synonymous with a diagnosis of ADHD. There is general agreement that different aspects of executive dysfunction contribute to behaviors that characterize ADHD.
