ABSTRACT
The executive functioning system distributes information entering the brain, allowing the individual to plan and direct their response, manage their behaviour, use their memory, maintain concentration and focus their attention. Pennington and Ozonoff describe four closely related domains of executive functioning: inhibition, cognitive flexibility, working memory and planning/initiation, in addition to the ability to self-monitor and maintain emotional control. Dawson and Guare identify ten aspects of executive functioning: working memory, planning, organisation, time management, flexibility, inhibiting response, emotional control, sustained attention, persistence and task initiation. The children's problems with memory will be compounded by any additional executive functioning weaknesses they experience: a difficulty in maintaining concentration, regulating effort or monitoring their performance over time. Periods of transition, notably between junior and senior school, often provide a catalyst for the emergence of executive functioning problems. Schools will cope with some executive functioning weaknesses more easily than others.
