Why Executive Functions Matter for Social Skill Building

Guest blog contributed by: Alyssa Stone, MT-BC, NMT, Music Therapist,Clinical Director, Owner, and Founder of Dynamic Lynks

Executive functioning is a buzzword you often hear in the current age of pediatric therapy. What is it exactly? Executive functioning is the use of executive functions, which are a broad range of cognitive processes that allow people to be independent, lead successful professional lives, and engage in activities of daily living. Each of these cognitive processes contributes to the overarching executive function system that allows individuals to interact effectively with their environment (Goldstein & Naglieri, 2014).

There are many skills encompassed in the term executive functioning such as inhibition and attentional control, working memory, decision-making, perspective-taking, cognitive flexibility, self-regulation, and more (Diamond, 2013). You may see the term executive function skills and, because of its broad range of definitions, misunderstand the impact executive functions have on your child. Did you know executive function skills are not just a cognitive process, but also a tool to teach and support social needs during verbal interactions and communication exchanges?

The Social Side of EF

Social communication skills require decision-making, planning, and problem-solving which are, you guessed it, all elements of executive functioning! Social cognition is a term that has a more straightforward definition than the broad scope of executive functioning. Cognition incorporates attention, perception, and memory; social cognition uses these same skills during social interactions to process information within the social setting (Frith, 2008).

Meta-cognition, self-monitoring, and self-reflection are crucial elements of social cognition that overlap with skills of executive functions such as self-regulation and perspective-taking (Frith and Frith,2012). These are all terms you may be familiar with but do not associate with the higher-order cognitive demands of executive functioning and the impact they have on social skill building. To effectively navigate a social interaction, there is a vast range of cognitive work happening.

The Impact of EF Skill Development

Executive function skills begin to develop between ages three to four and grow in complexity from ages seven to nine. Executive functions are most prevalent during adolescence, reaching adult-like skill levels around age 12 (Ferguson et al., 2021). Research suggests that executive functions continue to grow and be strengthened across early adulthood with full development completed by age 29 (Zelazo et al., 2014).

Nearly half of all autistic children have average or above-average cognitive ability, but still struggle with independence in adulthood due to a lack of executive functioning (Pugliese et al., 2015). Autistic adolescents demonstrate challenges in social cognitive tasks likely due to challenges in understanding and adapting social problem-solving skills across social schemata (Ulrich & Rauh, 2017). There is also a link between social cognitive needs, emotional understanding, and theory of mind in adolescents with ADHD (Bora & Pantelis, 2016). The impact of executive function skills on more than organizing a folder or bedroom cannot be understated. Successful navigation of EF skills can empower children across all aspects of their lives!

So now… What Do We Do?

Executive functions can be overwhelming, but they give us the power to create social skill-building strategies. Every parent who has received a diagnosis of autism or neurodiversity has been told to “enroll your child in social groups”. Yes, AND social skill building is not about just having social opportunities and experiences. It is about empowering children and teens with skills, strategies, and support to navigate the world on their own terms.

When looking at the elements of EF skills and social cognition, we can teach children about self-monitoring, self-management, and self-advocacy. What do you notice about yourself? What do you notice about the situation? What tools can you use to access it? Strategies like editing, filtering, time management (we call it sharing the talking time), perspective-taking, and self-regulation all come into play in social interactions. How can we help a child check in with themselves, initiate, and effectively sustain a social interaction? Executive functions!

We think about thinking about the social situation, meta-cognition. We plan for different social contexts. We organize the tools we need to be successful. We support regulation so we can make decisions and problem-solve in real time. We strengthen those cognitive connections to work the muscles of decision-making and problem-solving so it’s not so stressful to use them in the social moment. We teach children to navigate their needs and ask for help or support when things get too hard. Social cognition is a powerful tool for accessing this critical side of social skill building and executive functions help us get there!

About Alyssa Stone,MM, MT-BC, NMT, CYT 500

Alyssa is a Board Certified, Neurologic Music Therapist, music educator, and yoga instructor. Her holistic approach, engaging expertise, and determined drive have led to the reality of her life-long goal, of running a successful therapeutic center for children. A graduate of the University of Miami, Alyssa studied Music Therapy, Music Education, and Psychology. Alyssa is currently pursuing her PhD in Music Therapy at Colorado State University. Alyssa's passion lies in celebrating neurodiversity and providing the best therapeutic services to help all individuals reach their fullest potential! Alyssa's current areas of research include executive function skill development through neuro-science-informed techniques for neurodivergent individuals.

About Dynamic Lynks

You don't have to do it alone! Interested in learning more about social cognition and executive function skill work for your child? We run a variety of social skill-building groups at Dynamic Lynks centered in music! We are a team of board-certified music therapists who support children across the lifespan to help them navigate the world so they can have full access to their goals. You can learn more about our diverse program offerings at dynamiclynks.com or email us, info@dynamiclynks.com to schedule a free consultation!

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References

Bora, E., & Pantelis, C. (2016). Meta-analysis of social cognition inattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Comparison with healthy controls and autistic spectrum disorder. Psychological Medicine, 46(4), 699–716. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715002573

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64(1), 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

Ferguson, H. J., Brunsdon, V. E. A., & Bradford, E. E. F. (2021). The developmental trajectories of executive function from adolescence to old age. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1382–1382. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80866-1

Frith, C. D. (2008). Social cognition. Philosophical Transactions B, 363(1499), 2033-2039. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0005

Frith, C.D., & Frith, U. (2012). Mechanisms of social cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 287–313. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100449

Goldstein, S., & Naglieri, J. A. (2014). Handbook of executive functioning. Springer New York. 

Pugliese, C. E., Anthony, L., Strang, J. F., Dudley, K., Wallace, G. L., & Kenworthy, L. (2015). Increasing adaptive behavior skill deficits from childhood to adolescence in autism spectrum disorder: Role of executive function. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1579–1587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2309-1 

Ulrich, M. S., & Rauh, R. (2017). What difference does it make? Implicit, explicit and complex social cognition in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(4), 961–979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-3008-x

Zelazo, P. D., Anderson, J. E., Richler, J., Wallner-Allen, K., Beaumont, J. L.,Conway, K. P., Gershon, R., & Weintraub, S. (2014). NIH toolbox cognition battery (CB): Validation of executive function measures in adults. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 20(6), 620–629. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617714000472

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C.I.T.Y. of Support is grateful to Alyssa Stone at Dynamic Lynks for her participation as one of our organization's sponsors. Please note that the information and opinions presented here are specifically her own.  The purpose of C.I.T.Y. of Support's collaborative blog is to help connect families and professionals to different community resources, and we do not specifically endorse any particular recommendations provided herein.