Executive Junction: Initiate

Executive functions are the managers of the brain. They don’t do the work themselves, but they sure know how to delegate. They cue other brain functions, i.e. “Hey, wake up brain, we have to pay attention now, and we should be attending to that guy at the front of the room.” George McCloskey, PhD, has identified 22 discrete executive functions. Each month I will spotlight one or more of them in this column.

The Initiate function cues the brain to begin something, be it acting, thinking, or perceiving. Individuals with difficulty initiating are slow to get started even when cued to do so, and often do poorly on the beginning of an assignment, but perform better thereafter. Parents and teachers can help by increasing structure and routine, so required initiations become habitual. External prompts (verbal cues and/or light physical touches) are also often needed. Finally, guiding the child through the first step of an assignment is a method I use often. As Aristotle said, “Well bugun is half done.”