Executive function is the mechanism by which our brains manage and prioritize our thoughts, working memory, emotions and actions; Harvard researchers call it our brain’s air traffic control system.

Vulnerability causes people to do some interesting things. For preteens, it often manifests into cutthroat judgment and meanness as defense mechanisms. If you look stupid, then I won’t. Couple that ...

It’s the night before your child has a big paper or project due and panic has set in. Deadlines have already been missed and now your child has a mountain of work to complete. As you hunker down to ...

I hold my planner like a life book. It's dazzled with color-coded words, stickers, notes, symbols, and doodles. One might think it's all for fun. In truth, it's all quite necessary. It's my executive ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover Mental Wellness for Adolescents and Adults. Executive functioning skills are your child’s mental control center, ...

Over the past year, I’ve received startlingly similar phone calls from families of college students: Their first- and second-year students across the United States are struggling with basic tasks and ...

This post is part one of a series. Attention is a multifaceted process that manages the mental controls needed for school or work. Filtering incoming information to determine its importance (saliency) ...

During the eight years that Hannah Ross was a third- and fourth-grade teacher, she noticed there were always a handful of kids whose needs weren’t being met in the classroom. Some might have ADHD or ...