3/3 Executive Function Across Neurotypes

Devon Tonneson
Mar 2
1 min read

Executive function — the brain’s management system for planning, working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility — is something everyone struggles with sometimes. But in neurodivergent populations (like ADHD, autism, OCD, and Tourette’s), executive dysfunction isn’t a quirk — it’s a biological pattern that affects daily life, learning, and self-regulation.

This Tuesday, DNA will explore executive dysfunction as a transdiagnostic feature — meaning it spans multiple neurodivergent conditions — using research that examines executive function in ADHD, autism, and across diagnostic categories.

We’ll discuss:

What executive function (EF) is and why it matters for daily life and academics
How EF differences show up similarly (and differently) across neurotypes
Why approaches that treat EF as “motivation” or “willpower” fail neurodivergent students
Evidence-based strategies that work across diagnoses
How EF gets worse under stress and chronic illness load

Key literature we’ll draw on:

Barkley, R. A. (1997). Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: Constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psychological Bulletin, 121(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.121.1.65
Demetriou, E. A., et al. (2018). Autism, executive function, and cognitive profile: A meta-analysis of performance on executive function tasks. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(12), 4080–4095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3650-y
Snyder, H. R., Miyake, A., & Hankin, B. L. (2015). Advancing understanding of executive function impairments and psychopathology: Bridging clinical and cognitive approaches. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 328. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00328

Discussion prompts:

How do EF differences affect studying, planning, and emotional regulation?
What tools actually help when your brain struggles with initiation or switching tasks?
Can we map common EF struggles across diagnoses, and what does that mean for accommodations?