01/10/2025
✨ OT and PT terms explained – Part 4 ✨
Executive functioning is a set of skills our brain uses to plan, organise, focus, and manage emotions.
Think of executive functioning in action when your child:
✔️ Remembers what they need to pack in their school bag each morning
✔️ Manages their time to finish homework or get ready for school
✔️ Shifts between activities like moving from playtime to the dinner table
✔️ Uses strategies to calm big feelings after a tough moment
All children are developing these skills and can develop them in different ways and at a different pace! Providing them with tools and strategies to assist with tasks that require executive functioning, while they are still developing these skills, can help build independence and confidence 👍
Some easy, everyday strategies you can use are:
💡Doing tasks together- practise doing the task like packing a school bag together a few times so children learn what they need with you to guide them.
💡Visual checklists- a morning or bedtime routine chart with pictures/ words to guide tasks step by step.
💡Repeat it back: After giving an instruction, ask your child to repeat it to check understanding.
💡Break it down: Divide big tasks (like homework) into smaller chunks with short breaks.
💡“First… then…” language: e.g., “First we finish this puzzle, then we’ll have a snack.”
Please note: This is a general definition only. The tools and resources suggested can be helpful for many children, but every child is different. If you have questions about these terms and resources, please speak with your Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, or another relevant allied health professional. 💛
