Executive function skills as predictors of social skills in socially disadvantaged children

Separation anxiety, which occurs because preschool students are separated by entering a different environment, can result in not wanting to go to school, and it is important to have self-regulation and executive function skills in order to cope with this anxiety and ensure adaptation to school. This study aims to observe the relationship between preschool students’ separation anxiety and their self-regulation and executive function skills. 79 preschool students were included in the study. Separation Anxiety Scale for Nest Children (SASNC), Self-Regulation Skills Scale for Children Aged 4-6 Years (SRSS) and Childhood Executive Functions Inventory (CHEXI) were used for collecting data. Between SASNC results SRSS’s total (r=-0,286, p=0,011), inhibitory control (r=-0,315, p=0,005), attention (r=-0,249, p=0,027) score a significant negative correlation was found. There was a positive correlation between SASNC and CHEXI total (r=0,277, p=0,013) score. In our study, it was found that students with better self-regulation and executive function skills experienced less separation anxiety. Showing high performance in situations that require self-regulation and executive skills can have a positive effect on children being less depressed and experiencing less anxiety in the face of incidents than their peers. As found in previous studies, executive function skills in the preschool period were found to reflect school readiness. In addition, self-regulation skills are very important for children in regulating their behavior and coping with their anxiety. Because a child who struggles with behavioral control could not feel like a part of her friends' and the school's community and could not want to go to school. Therefore, before starting preschool education, it is important to develop self-regulation and executive function skills to both reduce anxiety and adapt to school.

Executive function skills are crucial for children in the 21st century, serving as indicators of their readiness for learning. Children with well-developed executive function skills can effectively accomplish various tasks, solve problems using diverse strategies, and collaborate with others happily. This research aims to: 1. Identify the necessity for fostering executive function skills among early childhood students in Nonthaburi Province. 2. Analyze the causes underlying the necessity to promote executive function skills in early childhood students. 3. Propose strategies to enhance executive function skills in early childhood students. The research consists of two phases. Phase 1 involves identifying the necessity for developing executive function skills among early childhood students, with a sample group comprising 12 volunteer kindergarten teachers randomly selected from 12 classrooms and 328 early childhood students aged 5 to 5 years 11 months (162 boys and 166 girls). The research instrument used is the MU.EF-101 assessment. Data analysis involves calculating the mean and standard deviation of T-scores for working memory, inhibitory control, and shift/cognitive flexibility. Phase 2 analyzes the causes of necessity and proposes strategies to promote executive function skills in early childhood students. The data sources for this phase are 12 teachers, and the research instruments include fishbone diagram recording forms and group discussion recording forms. Findings suggest that parental involvement is crucial in training children to perform tasks independently and in teaching children patience. Additionally, teachers should analyze children's behaviors to plan appropriate learning activities based on their context. Teachers must encourage children to think and make decisions independently, encourage when mistakes occur, and ensure the availability of suitable tools and toys that promote the development of executive function skills in early childhood students, which teachers or parents can conveniently utilize.

This study investigated the relationships of four executive functioning skills (including verbal working memory, spatial working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility) with young children's mental computation and applied mathematical problem-solving. Two hundred and twenty-five Chinese kindergarteners were tested with a battery of general cognitive, executive functioning and mathematics skills. Results showed that when children's age, gender, non-verbal intelligence, and listening comprehension skills were controlled, verbal working memory and cognitive flexibility were significant correlates of mental computation, whereas verbal working memory, spatial working memory, and cognitive flexibility were significant correlates of applied mathematical problem-solving. Inhibitory control was not significantly associated with the two domains of mathematics under investigation. The findings highlight the differential roles of different executive functioning skills in early mathematical skills and offer practical implication for helping young children in learning complex mathematical skills.

Effects of 12-week mindfulness-based intervention on executive functioning skills, brain oxygenation, and biomarkers of cognitive function in baseball players: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Children with specific language impairment (SLI) have problems with non-linguistic areas such as executive function (EF) skills, in addition to language skills. EF skills are crucial for language development and processing. Conversely, language acquisition can also enhance EF skills, suggesting a bidirectional relationship. Speech therapists (STs) play a crucial role in providing interventions focused on EF skills for school-age children with SLI. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of comprehensive evaluations regarding the effects of EF interventions for school-age children with SLI that enhance EF and language skills. Objective: The purpose of this systematic review (SR) was to investigate which EF interventions have affected EF skills for school-age children with SLI and to investigate how improvements in EF skills could improve language skills in these children with SLI. Materials and methods: This SR followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines with a descriptive-analytical approach. The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42024545361). Searched databases included ERIC, PubMed, APA PsycINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. The authors used the Single-Case Experimental Design (SCED) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool for quality assessment. Results: A total of 5,737 studies were retrieved, of which 4 studies were included in this review. The evidence supports the notion that EF interventions could improve EF skills (i.e., visuospatial WM, attention, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility) as well as language skills (i.e., language comprehension and production, particularly grammatical skills) in children with SLI aged 6 to 12 years. This study also indicates that while there are promising outcomes, the effects can be inconsistent and vary depending on the type of intervention and the specific skills targeted. EFs offer a cognitive framework that facilitates language acquisition, comprehension, and production throughout development and across different contexts. Conclusion: EF interventions could have the potential to improve both EF skills and language skills. EF skills are essential for language development and processing, and vice versa. Therefore, STs could integrate EF interventions with traditional language interventions.

Teacher fidelity to Conscious Discipline and children’s executive function skills

This research aimed to adapt two measurement tools assessing self-regulation and executive function skills in children aged 4–6 years into the Turkish language. The first scale, "Child Self-Regulation and Behavior Questionnaire" (CSBQ) developed by Howard and Melhuish (2017), assesses children's self-regulation and social development skills based on teachers' opinions. The second sale is the "Assessment of Sensory Processing and Executive Functions in Childhood" (EPYFEI) (Romero-Ayuso et al., 2018). This scale aims to determine the sensory processing and executive function skills of children between the ages of 3 and 11 based on parental opinions. A total of 454 children aged 4-6 attending preschool and kindergarten education in a province in southwestern Türkiye participated in the study. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to evaluate the construct validity of the CSBQ and EPYFEI scales. EFA results of the CSBQ yielded three subscales: cognitive self-regulation, behavioral and emotional self-regulation, and sociability. CFA results showed adequate fit indices for the CSBQ's 15-item, three-factor structure. Additionally, the analysis for concurrent validity revealed a positive and significant relationship between the scale and the Child Behavior Rating Scale. The internal consistency coefficient for the total scale was .84, and for the subscalees, it ranged from .74 to .80. Regarding EPYFEI, the item total correlations of the sensory processing subscale were below .30, and the item variance was below .50. This yielded the removal of the "sensory processing" subscale, and hence the scale was adapted into Turkish as "Assessment of Executive Functions in Childhood" (AEFC). EFA results for the AEFC revealed three factors (executive attention and working memory, emotional and behavioral self-regulation, and inhibitory control). The results of the CFA indicated that the scale's fit indices, consisting of 14 items and three factors, were sufficient. The internal consistency coefficient for the entire AEFC scale was .83, with the subscales ranging from .72 to .84. These findings demonstrated that children's self-regulation skills and social development utilizing CSBQ and executive function skills using the AEFC can be measured validly and reliably.

Executive functions (EFs) in early childhood are predictors of later developmental outcomes and school readiness. Much of the research on EFs and their psychosocial correlates has been conducted in high-income, minority world countries, which represent a small and biased portion of children globally. The aim of this study is to examine EFs among children aged 3-5 years in two African countries, South Africa (SA) and The Gambia (GM), and to explore shared and distinct predictors of EFs in these settings. The SA sample (N = 243, 51.9% female) was recruited from low-income communities within the Cape Town Metropolitan area. In GM, participants (N = 171, 49.7% female) were recruited from the rural West Kiang region. EFs, working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC) and cognitive flexibility (CF), were measured using tablet-based tasks. Associations between EF task performance and indicators of socioeconomic status (household assets, caregiver education) and family enrichment factors (enrichment activities, diversity of caregivers) were assessed. Participants in SA scored higher on all EF tasks, but children in both sites predominantly scored within the expected range for their age. There were no associations between EFs and household or familial variables in SA, except for a trend-level association between caregiver education and CF. Patterns were similar in GM, where there was a trend-level association between WM and enrichment activities but no other relationships. We challenge the postulation that children in low-income settings have poorer EFs, simply due to lower socioeconomic status, but highlight the need to identify predictors of EFs in diverse, global settings. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Assessed Executive Functioning (EF) skills and their psychosocial predictors among pre-school aged children (aged 3-5 years) in two African settings (The Gambia and South Africa). On average, children within each setting performed within the expected range for their age, although children in South Africa had higher scores across tasks. There was little evidence of any association between socioeconomic variables and EFs in either site. Enrichment activities were marginally associated with better working memory in The Gambia, and caregiver education with cognitive flexibility in South Africa, both associations were trend-level significance.

Relations between numerical, spatial, and executive function skills and mathematics achievement: A latent-variable approach

Introduction: Resilience is the ability to recover after stressful events and is believed to help reduce the long-term adverse effects. The role of resilience as a determinant of neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes and quality of life (QOL) in young adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) has not been fully delineated. Hypothesis: Higher resilience in young adults with CHD is associated with better QOL and can be predicted by patient factors and ND status in the preschool period. Methods: Prospective evaluation of subjects ≥ 18 years of age enrolled in a study of genetic determinants of ND outcome after repair of CHD at age ≤ 6 months. The subjects had previously undergone a ND evaluation (executive function, attention/impulsivity and social skills) at 4 years of age. For this study, subjects completed the RS-14, a questionnaire that captures the constructs of resilience; and the SF-36, a functional health status questionnaire. Factors associated with resilience were determined using generalized linear (gamma) regression. Results: The RS-14 and SF-36 were completed by 151 subjects (74 male and 77 female, mean age 19.5 ± 1.1 years). The median resilience score of 79 (CI 0.95 = 77, 82) was significantly greater than the young adult population median of 76.0, p = 0.006. Resilience was graded as moderate or higher in 103 subjects (68%). Higher resilience scores were significantly correlated with higher QOL assessed by the SF-36 Mental Component Summary, r = 0.40, p < 0.001. By simple regression, Caucasian race was associated with higher resilience scores, p = 0.03. Prematurity, low birth weight, presence of a genetic anomaly, and severity of CHD were not associated with higher or lower scores, all p > 0.2. No operative management factors were associated with higher or lower scores, all p > 0.28. Better performance for executive function ( p = 0.03) and social skills ( p = 0.02) at the 4-year ND evaluation were associated with higher resilience. Hyperactivity was associated with lower resilience scores, p = 0.02. Conclusions: Many young adults with CHD demonstrate good resilience. Higher resilience is associated with better QOL. Performance on ND testing in the preschool period may identify patients with lower resilience and offer an opportunity for intervention.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is described as a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. Autism affecting almost 2% of children in World. Autism is characterized by severe and pervasive impairments in several important areas of development: reciprocal social interaction and communication as well as behavior. Executive function (EF) has been of interest and has a role in contributing to specific impairments, described as poor regional coordination and integration of prefrontal executive processes that integrate with other emotion and social circuits. Understanding how autism affects social functioning development at both behavioral and neuropsychological level is important for the conception of effective and early interventions to improve social and communicative skills in individuals suffering from this pathology. Methods: The aim of the present study is to understand the executive functioning and social skills by a case series of 5 children diagnosed with Autism. In the present study 5 male children with IQ=70 or above within the age range of 6-12 were undertaken to assess Executive Functioning and Social skills. Color Trail Test, Animal Cancellation Test, Design Fluency Test and Maze Test were administered to executive functioning and Autism social skills profile was administered to assess the social functioning of Autism. Results: Findings indicated significant impairment in Executive functioning and social skills which require early psychosocial interventions.

Executive function and mathematics in preschool children: Training and transfer effects

Educational robotics or unplugged coding activities in kindergartens?: Comparison of the effects on pre-school children's computational thinking and executive function skills

Preschool-aged, autistic children were compared with both developmentally delayed children of similar non-verbal mental age and normally developing children of similar verbal skill on measures of executive function and social communication skills. Autistic children exhibited significantly more perseverative responses on a test of executive function when compared to both comparison groups. Autistic children also exhibited significantly fewer joint attention and social interaction behaviors. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between executive function skill and the two social communication skills, which was independent of group membership or verbal ability. Competing hypotheses to account for the relationship between executive function deficits and social communication deficits in autism are discussed.

The present study aims to adapt the parent-report of the "Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI)" into Turkish to use with preschool children. The CHEXI is a rating instrument by which parents evaluate the executive functioning of children between ages of 4 and12 years. The sample of the present study consists of parents of 212 children attending 37 public preschools during 2019 – 2020 academic year. Children’s ages range from 48 to 72 months. Parents completed the CHEXI, Children's Behavior Questionnaire-Short Form (CBQ-SF), and Demographic Information Form. Results from the Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the CHEXI has two factors aligned with the original structure; χ2(250) = 383,275, CFI=0.90, RMSEA=0.05 [90% CI 04, 06], SRMR=0.05. These dimensions are Working Memory and Inhibitory Control. As a result of the item-level independent t-test conducted for the upper and lower 27% groups, all items were significantly different between groups. The internal reliability (Cronbach's Alpha) values of the inventory were found to be .90 for the Working Memory and .78 for the Inhibitory Control subscale. This was also true for composite reliability. In addition, there was a significant correlation between CHEXI and CBQ-SF's subscales, indicating criterion validity. The findings of the present study suggest that CHEXI could be used with parents of preschool children in Turkey.