Executive Functioning in Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Examine executive-function differences across neurodevelopmental conditions and learn how to interpret research findings, evaluate assessment limitations, and apply evidence-informed approaches to school-based consultation and intervention.
- 2 CE Credits
- 4 Lessons
- Research-Based
- Self-Paced
- Online Independent Study
Course Overview
Executive functioning plays an important role in learning, behavioral regulation, organization, problem-solving, and adaptive functioning. Difficulties with executive functioning are frequently observed among students with neurodevelopmental conditions, but the patterns of difficulty may overlap across diagnostic categories.
This course examines findings from Sadozai and colleagues’ 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis, which synthesized evidence from 180 studies of executive functioning in children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Participants will explore executive-function domains, similarities and differences across ADHD, autism, and learning disorders, limitations of common assessment approaches, and implications for school-based decision-making.
Emphasis is placed on translating group-level research findings into thoughtful, individualized assessment, consultation, and intervention planning.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify and describe the executive-function domains examined in the research and their relevance to learning and school functioning.
- Compare executive-function findings across ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and learning disorders, including areas of overlap and variability.
- Evaluate methodological and measurement limitations affecting the interpretation of executive-function assessment results.
- Apply research findings to individualized school-based consultation, support planning, and progress monitoring.
Required Research Reading
This course is based on an open-access peer-reviewed systematic review and meta-analysis published in Nature Human Behaviour.
Primary Research Article
Sadozai, A. K., Sun, C., Demetriou, E. A., et al. (2024). Executive function in children with neurodevelopmental conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nature Human Behaviour.
DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-02000-9
Reading Guidance
As you review the article, focus on the executive-function domains examined, the magnitude and consistency of findings, differences across diagnostic groups, the measures used, and the limitations identified by the authors.
Consider how findings derived from research groups may inform, but should not replace, individualized evaluation and professional judgment.
Course Lessons
The course includes four lessons that progress from foundational research concepts to practical school-based applications.
How to Complete This Course
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Complete the required reading Access the Sadozai et al. research article and review the assigned findings and discussion.
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Work through all four lessons Review the instructional material, examples, research interpretations, and practical applications presented in each lesson.
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Complete the applied activities Apply course concepts through four case-based activities comprising 18 learner-response prompts.
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Complete the final assessment Demonstrate understanding and application of the course material through the 16-question final assessment.
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Obtain your completion certificate After satisfying the course completion requirements, access your continuing education certificate through your learner account.
Continuing Education Credit
Online Independent Study
This course has been assigned 2.0 continuing education hours using the Mergener formula for independent-study credit-hour determination.
The documented calculation incorporates required reading and instructional content, applied learner-response activities in every lesson, a 16-question final assessment, and the professional-level difficulty of the course.
Intended Audience
This course is designed for psychologists working in schools, licensed educational psychologists, nationally certified school psychologists, and other qualified professionals involved in psychoeducational assessment, consultation, and school-based intervention.
Course Instructor
Jaime Flowers, Ph.D., NCSP, LEP, BCBA
Program Administrator and Director of Continuing Education
Child & School Psychology CE
CE Program Information & Disclosures
- Instructional level: Intermediate
- Target audience: Psychologists, school psychologists, and other professionals who work with children, adolescents, families, and schools.
- Format and schedule: Asynchronous, self-paced online home study. No live sessions; complete the course at any time during your access period.
- Access period: 1 year from enrollment.
- Cost and refunds: This course is $20, or free with the purchase of any other course or bundle.
- Instructor / content developer: Jaime Flowers, Ph.D., NCSP, LEP, BCBA
- Conflict of interest: Dr. Flowers is the owner of Child & School Psychology CE and receives revenue from sales of courses on this site, including this one. No other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships are reported.
- Commercial support: This program receives no commercial support.
- Accessibility: Need an accommodation? See our Accessibility & Accommodations page.
- Questions or complaints: See our CE Complaint & Grievance Procedure.
Limitations and Risks
Limitations of the content. The findings in this course come mainly from group-level meta-analytic comparisons; they describe average differences between diagnostic groups and controls and cannot predict an individual child's executive-function profile. The included studies vary widely in measures, age ranges, handling of comorbidity, and diagnostic procedures, and many samples come from clinical or research settings that may not represent students served in schools. Performance-based tests and rating scales often correlate weakly, and evidence that executive-function interventions transfer to untrained skills or academic outcomes is limited.
Risks. The most significant risk is treating an executive-function profile as diagnostic, such as inferring or ruling out ADHD, autism, or a learning disorder from executive-function scores, even though profiles overlap substantially across conditions. Relying on a single measure or informant can lead to misidentification, misplaced intervention targets, or deficit-based labeling. Recommending executive-function training on the assumption that it will produce broad academic or behavioral gains may divert time and resources from better-supported, skill-specific supports.
References
Primary reading
- Sadozai, A. K., Sun, C., Demetriou, E. A., Lampit, A., Munro, M., Perry, N., Boulton, K. A., & Guastella, A. J. (2024). Executive function in children with neurodevelopmental conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(12), 2357–2366. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02000-9
Supporting references
- Ceruti, C., Mingozzi, A., Scionti, N., & Marzocchi, G. M. (2024). Comparing executive functions in children and adolescents with autism and ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Children, 11(4), Article 473. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11040473
- Demetriou, E. A., Lampit, A., Quintana, D. S., Naismith, S. L., Song, Y. J. C., Pye, J. E., Hickie, I., & Guastella, A. J. (2018). Autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis of executive function. Molecular Psychiatry, 23(5), 1198–1204. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2017.75
- Kassai, R., Futo, J., Demetrovics, Z., & Takacs, Z. K. (2019). A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence on the near- and far-transfer effects among children's executive function skills. Psychological Bulletin, 145(2), 165–188. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000180
- Soto, E. F., Kofler, M. J., Singh, L. J., Wells, E. L., Irwin, L. N., Groves, N. B., & Miller, C. E. (2020). Executive functioning rating scales: Ecologically valid or construct invalid? Neuropsychology, 34(6), 605–619. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000681