Hi, my name is Stephanie, and today I want to talk to you about executive functions.
According to an article by Maureen Bennie from the Autism Awareness Centre: "Some sources
say that up to 80% of those with autism suffer from executive function disorder, leading
to difficulties managing time, completing tasks, and making what for many of us would
be simple tasks very complicated or seemingly impossible."
Now, do note that you do not have to have autism to have issues with executive functions,
and also not all people on the spectrum have issues with all of the executive functions,
but this is something that I have struggled with my entire life and could not put my finger
on.
Where other things might be easier to explain, like, it's loud, or I feel sensitive to these
things, or sounds really bother me, or smells really bother me.
Those sorts of things I found a little easier to put words to, but these things specifically
were things that I could not really be able to put in words for you and that is issues
with executive functions.
So, I think it's really important to share about this because it really helped me to
understand why I have issues with certain things and hopefully it will help you understand,
too.
So, with the executive functions, I've seen it as the eight executive functions, the five
executive functions, the blah, blah, blah executive functions.
And usually, it's because of grouping and separating differences.
So, like, they might say this and this are considered an "executive function," or they
would separate those two and make "more" executive functions, or less executive functions when
grouping them together.
So, it doesn't seem to be a perfect science as for the number of executive functions.
I just wanted to let you know about that, as well.
I'm going to be going off of the article I quoted earlier from Maureen Bennie.
So, the first one we have is Planning, which is pretty self-explanatory.
The idea of being able to make a plan, to see what needs to be done, and to put those
into, like, tasks, and in a certain order to be able to get it done, basically.
So, for me, I'm actually pretty good at planning, in my opinion.
The only thing that I sometimes have trouble with is making those tasks, or even the frequency
of those tasks to get to the goal, a little bit unrealistic for myself.
But in general, I am pretty good at planning.
The next one is problem solving, and this one has irked me forever.
I'd always hear how everyone wanted the problem solvers, 'cause those were the people that,
you know, could do the best job.
They were the most valuable type of people, at least, that's how it felt in classes that
I was in.
Problem solving, problem solving, problem solving.
That's all I heard and everyone was just really focused on this thing that, for some reason,
I knew I wasn't good at.
Even though I knew I was smart, I could follow lines of logic, but something about the entire
process of problem solving, I've had trouble with.
Maureen Bennie actually mentions that the process of problem solving pretty much includes
all of the other executive functions, not every single one of them, but most of them.
So, if you have any trouble with any of them, you're going to have some sort of break in
the problem solving process.
Which explains so much to me.
So, more specifically, what problem solving is is to be able to identify the problem,
and then formulate a strategy and solve that problem.
I do think I'm pretty good at the identifying the problem part, the strategy to solve the
problem is probably where I really don't get there.
Working memory is the next function mentioned on here, and this could be more considered
your short-term memory that you're referencing for use.
So, it's kind of like your practical use short-term memory.
So, for example, I used to be a server at a restaurant.
Which was kind of horrible, for me at least.
There were good days, and all that stuff, but there was a lot of struggles and they
could easily be explained partially by my struggles with working memory.
Because someone could say, hey, I need a water.
And then I have these other tasks as well.
Well, hey, I need a water would just completely leave my brain.
And I'd look at them and ask them hey, how are you doing?
You need anything?
And they'd be mad at me because they told me, hey, I need a water, and it's completely
gone.
Completely gone out of my brain.
This can also kind of seem weird to people because of how many autistics can remember
specific details about things that no one else really seems to care about, but yet can't
remember to get the water or to get the specific thing, have those specific details that they
told them just a minute ago.
This is just an executive function issue with working memory.
Then we have attention.
Now, autistic people tend to have a really, really good ability to focus, but directing
that focus seems to be the trouble.
So, we can really, really, really, really focus on how bright the lights are or the
sounds in the background, but we're supposed to be having our attention on the person in
front of us and what they're saying.
So, this can affect, again, your working memory because if someone's trying to tell you something
and your focus is actually not where it's supposed to be with the attention not directed
to what they're saying, and your focus gets directed on, you know, what you're smelling,
or what you're hearing, or what you're feeling, and all this other stuff, then it can easily
get lost, because your attention was elsewhere.
So, again, we have a great ability to focus, but we don't have a whole lot of control a
lot of the times, over directing that attention, which is why a lot of people have really defined
special interests.
They're super focused.
Know all the details about certain things and just love them to pieces and can put their
focus completely on it.
But trying to get them to, you know, direct that focus to more helpful things for them
in their day-to-day life can be really difficult.
And yeah, that's one I struggle with, as well.
Now, this next one is reasoning, but more specifically, verbal reasoning.
So, not necessarily just the ability to, like, reason through something, but more about it
being presented in words and you being able to also, kind of, integrate that into your
brain and process it and also, maybe, repeat it back in words that you understand, if that
makes sense.
So, a lot of us have trouble with verbal instructions.
For some reason, this type of reasoning is hard for us.
And then, it also doesn't help when there are implied social meanings and stuff like
that that aren't really obvious to us.
Now, for this one, I think I'm fairly good at this.
I've learned to just repeat back what people are saying or what I'm gonna get out of what
they said.
So, they could've said, like, five sentences, and I can respond with, Oh, so you want me
to do X, Y, and Z?
The details, so that way we can both be assured that this is the kind of communication that's
going on.
This next executive function is initiation, and honestly, this one drives me insane because
it just doesn't make sense.
It doesn't make sense to me, and it sure doesn't make sense to other people.
And this is trouble with initiating or starting a task, activity, etc.
It has nothing to do with how much you want to do something or desire to do something,
for some reason, the idea of starting it, the ability to start is somehow hindered.
And so, we need someone else to initiate the process.
Now, I struggle with this one in certain degrees at varying times.
I have a lot of self-conversations about, like, let's get up.
Let's just do this.
Come on.
We gotta get up.
We gotta get up and do this.
And it makes even simple things kind of difficult.
Even when it comes to like, personal care and hygiene.
Like getting up and taking a shower.
Just to move to that task and initiate that task can be really difficult.
I've had times where I was struggling, and I would get stuck where I would need someone
else to tell me to go heat up my lunch.
I'm not kidding you.
I've had people literally, like, I told them, can you tell me to go heat up my lunch?
And they were like, okay, yeah.
Stephanie, go heat up your lunch.
And I was like, okay.
And I stood there for another second, and they said, Stephanie.
Go heat up your lunch.
And so, I went and did that.
So, sometimes, we literally need someone else to initiate the process and it doesn't make
sense and it's really annoying, but it's just a thing.
So, yeah.
That is something I struggle with and I'm trying to figure out how to work around.
Then there's inhibition.
So, this is basically the, kind of, a sense of having self-control.
So, if you have a thought that pops in your mind, not immediately saying it, or if you
have an internal reaction to something that someone said or did, you don't act on it.
... That is the idea of inhibition.
So, a lot of times, having uncontrollable stimming or acting out, emotional outbursts,
interrupting people, those sorts of things are a deficit in the executive function of
inhibition.
Some people have such a difficult time with inhibition that they cannot actually participate
in structured activities because of that.
I think I have a fairly good grasp on inhibition.
I think that when I have a thought come to my mind that I'm excited about, I do have
trouble (gasps) like, keeping it in a lot of times.
I'll be in middle of a conversation and I'll be like (gasps).
Because I'm trying not to interrupt someone else to say it because it, it has entered
my brain and it seems really important, so I have to say it right now.
But not saying inappropriate things and stuff like that, I think I have a pretty good, pretty
good grasp on.
But I do see that I sometimes have issues with the executive function inhibition.
It must be THIS way, no other way!
That right there is an example of a deficit in the executive function cognitive flexibility.
Now, autistic people are very well known for needing to have structure and routine and
having things a certain way and repeating those things.
That is because we struggle with the executive function of being able to have flexibility
in the way we think.
So, people who actually do have a good amount of cognitive flexibility are the types of
people who can roll with the punches.
They're okay with things, kind of, changing.
They're okay with, maybe, changing their mind about things.
Whereas people on the spectrum tend to have difficulty with these things and feel almost
unsettled by them.
And also tend to think, you know, their way is the right way, no matter what.
This kind of ties into the video where I was talking about whether aspies or people on
the spectrum were controlling.
So, if you want to check that out, you can.
But that definitely does have to do with the issue of cognitive flexibility.
And this last one is really interesting to me as well and it's called monitoring.
Now, in other places, I've seen monitoring kind of described as being able to see where
you are in a project, like how you're progressing or something like that, which I mean, I think
is fair, sometimes we have a little bit of an issue with self-assessment.
But here, we're describing it as, kind of like the auto-pilot ability of your brain.
So, for example, if you're walking and talking, you already know how to walk.
So, your brain is going to just kind of turn that over to the auto-pilot monitoring function
so you don't bump into things, trip, etc. while you talk and dedicate more of your brain
to the ability to have a conversation.
But sometimes, when we're tired, overloaded, overwhelmed, etc., that kind of auto-pilot
monitoring function kind of starts slacking on us a little bit.
So, we might start bumping into things and tripping over things and stuff like that.
So, it's not so good at monitoring how we're walking.
Sometimes, it can be dangerous to the point where we don't realize we're walking into
a busy street.
So, sometimes monitoring can be a really, really big issue, and I have definitely experienced
the whole bumping into things and running into walls and doors and stuff like that before
when I was overloaded and upset and those sorts of things.
So, it is interesting to see that there's actually a name for it.
A reason for why I suddenly feel like I'm losing the ability to just walk around when
I'm overloaded and stuff like that.
And that's just an issue with the executive function monitoring.
Now, I am going to go ahead and link that article in the description below so you can
read it and look over it.
They have some more examples that I didn't mention and stuff like that, so I think that
would be interesting for you to go over for yourself to see if you have any issues with
any of the executive functions.
I really find it helpful to be able to see the things I deal with and don't quite understand
articulated in a way that makes sense and actually means that I'm not just crazy and
weird things don't just happen because they happen, but there's an actual reason for that.
I hope this also helps you understand why it might be difficult for someone on the spectrum
to do even simple things like, I mentioned, take a shower.
Because, to you, it's just take a shower, but to someone who has issues with executive
functions, then it's one, to initiate that task and then two, to remember all the steps,
we're working with working memory.
We're working with remembering every little thing.
You're also experiencing differences like going from hot to cold or vice versa, from
being dry to going to being wet, to dealing with how the water feels and the steam and
all those sorts of things.
Even the sound of the water, the feeling of the bathtub and all those sorts of things.
Remembering to do the shampoo, and the body wash, and the shaving, and all those sorts
of things in their right order and to make sure you've done them all.
It's such a process with so many little steps that it can be really overwhelming.
So, the idea of doing some self-care and hygiene things can actually really overwhelm someone
on the spectrum, even though it seems like it shouldn't.
So, I think that's something that's interesting to share with you.
So, if you struggle with that, don't beat yourself up.
Know that there is a reason, but I encourage you to keep trying.
Because, obviously, we don't want to just, like, sit in a hole and, like, never do things
just because they're difficult.
But I do want you to not feel bad about yourself just because it's difficult to take a shower,
brush your teeth, or do simple things that it seems like it's so much easier for other
people.
It's not because you're just lazy.
It's because you have issues with the executive functions.
Obviously, this can lead to issues with "bigger" things, like in work, in school, in daily
life, too.
But I just wanted to make everyone aware, whether you're on the spectrum or not, what
executive functions are and how they can affect people.
Thank you so much for watching today.
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