Executive functions (EF) act as the brain’s “air traffic control” system, allowing individuals to manage their thoughts, attention, and responses in order to plan, focus, remember instructions, and successfully execute tasks. Key executive functions include inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. In the realm of communication, EF skills are crucial for organizing ideas, maintaining topic coherence, and self-monitoring social behavior. SLPs address executive function deficits to improve functional communication, especially in clients with brain injuries, ADHD, or social communication challenges.
Adele Diamond, “Executive Functions,” Annual Review of Psychology 64 (2013).
C.A. Coelho et al., “Impairments of Discourse Abilities and Executive Functions in Traumatically Brain-Injured Adults,” Brain Injury 9, no. 5 (1995).
