Here’s an analogy many people find helpful:
Executive function is like air traffic control for the brain.
• The airplanes = our knowledge, skills, ideas, and creativity
• Air traffic control = the system that decides what goes where, when, and in what order
When air traffic control is overwhelmed or understaffed:
• Planes arrive late
• Land on the wrong runway
• Or don’t reach their destination at all
Many people with executive function challenges have plenty of airplanes — sometimes more than average.
The challenge isn’t ability.
It’s coordination.
