20/11/2025
Executive functions are cognitive processes that facilitate the achievement of our goals. For autistic and ADHD brains, executive function is about the skills that help us plan, organise, start tasks, switch between activities and regulate our emotions.
Challenges with executive function aren’t a lack of effort or motivation – they are just a difference in how the brain processes and prioritises information.
Some areas that executive function supports:
Planning & prioritising: deciding what to do first or how to break tasks into steps.
Working memory: keeping information in mind while completing tasks.
Task initiation & completion: starting or finishing something even when it feels overwhelming.
Cognitive flexibility: shifting between ideas, tasks or routines.
Emotional regulation: managing frustration, anxiety or overwhelm when things don’t go as planned.
Differences in executive function are part of a unique brain wiring – with strategies, support and self-awareness, these differences can be managed and even harnessed into strengths.
