What should I do if my child is struggling with these skills?
If you feel your child is struggling, talk to your healthcare provider. It’s important to remember executive function skills use a combination of motor, sensory, and communication skills, so talk to your healthcare provider if you notice delays in any of those areas.
There are pediatric specialists who may be able to help your child with executive function including:
Physical Therapists: Strive to make every session fun, while working on improving strength, flexibility, range of motion, posture, balance, and movement patterns. If your child has difficulty in any of these areas, talk with your child’s healthcare providers about the impact physical limitations can have on executive function development, and to see a physical therapist to address these issues.
Occupational Therapists: Help children master daily life skills by helping them strengthen the physical, cognitive, and sensory skills required to achieve every day activities. Occupational therapists address underlying skill limitations while providing adaptive strategies to help children perform daily tasks as independently as possible, which in turn helps children further build their skills and confidence.
Speech-Language Pathologists: Work to give children the tools to communicate effectively. Children may feel stressed or anxious if they are unable to express their feelings. Speech-language pathologists aim to improve a child’s ability to use verbal and non-verbal communication, and engage in meaningful learning and social activities.
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatricians: Address developmental delays and disabilities, attention and behavioral issues, regulatory and habit disorders, and anxiety and stress management.
