Executive function
Definition
Executive function is the group of mental skills used to plan, sequence, remember, and manage tasks — including working memory, organisation, and cognitive flexibility. Differences in these skills affect how a child handles multi-step routines and transitions.
Everyday routines quietly demand a lot of executive function: holding a sequence in mind, starting a task, switching between steps, and remembering what comes next. When those skills work differently — common for autistic and ADHD children — external supports do the “holding” instead.
That’s exactly what a visual schedule and task analysis provide: the plan lives on the page, not in the child’s head.