🧠 3 ways to “IMPROVE” Executive Function & ADHD

So hey—what’s up, parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone interested in supporting kids with executive function challenges, ADHD, and related issues.

I get a question a lot: How do we improve executive function?

For those of you who might not be familiar, executive function has to do with how the prefrontal cortex—the frontal lobe, the front third of the brain—helps us execute tasks. If you put your hand over your forehead, it’s the part of the brain right behind your hand.

This part of the brain helps us get important things done. It helps us organize, plan, prioritize, focus, concentrate, pay attention, avoid distractions, and notice details.

So how do we improve that?

There are three ways that I talk about. There are many incredible experts and theorists out there with different explanations, but here’s the framework I use:

1. Brain changes
2. Strategies and workarounds
3. Removing blocks

Let’s break these down.

1. The brain changes

First of all, the brain does change. There’s the idea of “use it or lose it,” and the concept that neurons that fire together wire together.

You may have heard the metaphor that the brain is like a muscle—what we use gets stronger. While that’s not a perfect analogy, it’s helpful.

The key point is this: the brain can and does change.

The frontal lobe—the part of the brain associated with executive function—is the last part of the brain to fully develop. It continues developing until around age 25–30.

So if you have an 8th grader, a 17-year-old, or even a young adult who seems behind in executive function, there is so much hope. The brain continues to grow, develop, and form new connections.

I like to think of executive function as a set of skills—skill sets that work together.

Some examples include:

* Planning
* Organization
* Focus and attention
* Ignoring distractions
* Prioritizing important tasks over more enjoyable ones

Different experts define these differently. Some say there are 3 skills, some say 5, 8, or more. I often talk about 13 or 14. The exact number isn’t the point—the idea is that these are skills that can be developed.

When we work with young people, the more intentionally, compassionately, and skillfully we help them build these skills, the more their brains strengthen those neural connections.

What we don’t want to do is say things like:
“Just try harder.”
“Just focus.”
“If you cared more, you’d do better.”

Statements that start with “if you just…” often reflect a misunderstanding of executive function and ADHD.

2. Strategies and workarounds

The second way to improve executive function is through strategies—also called compensatory strategies or workarounds.

There used to be a belief that people with ADHD “grew out of it.” What’s more likely is that they developed systems, environments, or careers that play to their strengths and compensate for their challenges.

For example, one of my challenges is prioritization.

A strategy I used for years was to overfill my schedule. My thinking was: if I do enough things, eventually the important things will get done.

But that led to exhaustion and imbalance.

Over time, I’ve improved—not because my brain suddenly developed perfect prioritization, but because I’ve built better strategies:

* Better task management systems
* More structured to-do lists
* Support from staff and people in my life
* Tools and systems that help me decide what matters most

So it’s not just about changing the brain—it’s about building smarter ways to work with it.

3. Removing blocks

The third way to improve executive function is by removing what interferes with it.

In other words: don’t just try to improve performance—remove the things that make performance harder.

For example, sleep has been a lifelong challenge for me.

I’ve done everything I can to improve sleep quality—especially deep sleep and REM sleep—because they directly impact executive function.

Other common blocks include:

* Stress and trauma
* Poor nutrition
* Lack of physical movement or exercise
* Overwhelm and lack of systems

There was even research comparing exercise to antidepressants, showing how powerful movement can be for mental health—and by extension, executive function.

So the question becomes:

What is blocking executive function?

What is getting in the way that we can reduce, remove, or improve?

Recap

So again, to recap:

There are three main ways to improve executive function:

1. Support brain development and skill-building
2. Teach strategies, workarounds, and systems
3. Identify and remove the blocks that interfere

If you’re supporting a child—or even yourself—this framework can be incredibly helpful.

Ask yourself:

* How can we build skills intentionally?
* What strategies can support this person?
* What obstacles are getting in the way?

If you like this, give it a thumbs up and leave a comment.

I’d love to hear from you—do you agree? Would you explain it differently? What strategies have worked for you?

My name is Seth Perler. You can find me at:

* sethperler.com
* executivefunctionsummit.com
* executivefunctionlab.com

Take care, everybody.

I wish you peace in your heart, joy in your life, and—most importantly—connection with the people you care about, especially the kids in your life.