Experiencing abuse or neglect can hinder the development of executive function skills, which children need in order to filter distractions, prioritise tasks, and control impulses.
Executive function and self-regulation skills are vital for planning, attention, remembering instructions and juggling multiple tasks successfully.
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University explains that children who learn executive function skills experience “lifelong benefits”.
“These skills are crucial for learning and development,” it states. “They also enable positive behaviour and allow us to make healthy choices for ourselves and our families.”
The Center, one of the world’s leading research institutes on childhood development, explains that honing executive function skills requires three types of brain function: working memory, mental flexibility and self-control.
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