Executive Function in 2e Learners

Do you wonder why your brilliant child can talk for hours about their passions but struggles to write a simple paragraph? You're not alone! Teresa from REEL explains that this is a common challenge for twice-exceptional (2e) children, those who are both gifted and navigate learning differences, particularly in executive functions (EF).

See the transcript here:

Hi, I'm Teresa from REEL. One of the most common questions we often hear is why can my child talk for hours about their favorite topics but then fall apart when we ask them to write a paragraph about it?

This is at the heart of parenting twice exceptional children, someone who is gifted and also navigating learning differences, including executive functions.

Executive functioning includes skills like planning, task initiation, organization, and emotional regulation. These skills help us manage complex tasks and shifting demands throughout the day. It's not uncommon to use air traffic control as a metaphor for all the many tasks and skills that are needed to make this happen.

We, as parents of twice exceptional kids, however, might think it looks a little bit more like this.

For neurodivergent kids, especially those with ADHD and those who are autistic, these skills often develop more slowly, sometimes lagging 2 to 4 years behind their neurotypical peers. And for gifted kids. And remember, twice exceptionals have both giftedness and neurodivergence. Development can be even more asynchronous.

According to the Davis Institute, research suggests that gifted children may experience a delay in developing executive function skills due to how their brains grow.

While most children begin synaptic pruning around the age of 8 which supports prefrontal cortex growth and executive function development, gifted children may stay in a sponge phase, delaying, pruning until around the age of 12.

This may result in EF skills developing 2 to 4 years after many neurotypical, age-based expectations.

In our small facilitated group discussions at REEL, we dive into these topics together, not just to understand the emerging science, but to share what it looks like in real life.

It's a space for connection, compassion, strategy building, and understanding with families who get it. And, because we know not everybody can be in the room yet, we're starting to share some of our resources with our larger community. We're sharing 2 tools that have been developed through our community and through our workshop.

The 1st one is the executive function vocabulary cheat sheet.

This parent-friendly guide offers clear definitions and real world examples for terms like inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and goal-directed persistence. We recommend choosing one or two terms. I often have parents look at this list and say we're struggling with all of these. That's why I highly recommend you choose one or two that really resonate with your child's current struggles and strengths and your family's goals, and use those as a lens for observation and support.

The next one is the strengths and EF struggles map. This tool helps you visually capture how your child's gifts and challenges often lie in the same space. In one circle, you list strengths, and in the other you note some EF struggles. The real insight comes from the overlap, the 2 E portion where strengths and challenges interact. One of our families shared that their child could speak passionately and in great detail, about Pokemon and Roblox and things like that. Their vocabulary and their creativity were off the charts.

But when it came time to write a few sentences they froze. There were tears, avoidance, and what looked like defiance.

But it was probably executive functioning overwhelm. Using the strengths and EF struggles, map, we can explore ways to scaffold and support without diminishing their strengths. We brainstormed options that looked like letting the child record their ideas first, using voice to text or a voice memo app on the phone, turning their Pokemon adventure into a comic strip or an illustrated timeline, and then using that as an outline, using their love of storytelling to create an oral presentation that's recorded to help refer back to as you begin writing. These scaffolds weren't shortcuts. They were on ramps, tools that respect both the child's talents and their developing executive function skills.

Remember, these skills develop over years and when your child's brain is ready,

and their practiced for many years to come.

When you start to look at your child through this lens, things begin to shift. You can move from frustration to understanding, from confusion to a bit of clarity. And the connection you build with your child only deepens when they feel seen and supported. So, take a few minutes with the cheat sheet and the struggles map to help you begin your reflection. It's a powerful place to start, and we recommend involving your children in these exercises. They'll have insights, too. Don't forget REEL has many more resources, and join our community to brainstorm and connect with others.

You're not alone on this journey. Thanks for joining us.

2e Executive Function Vocab and Focus Areas Cheat Sheet

Strengths and EF Struggles 2e Map

Executive Function Scaffolding (Video)

Strength Based Scaffolding for Executive Function Skills