Executive functioning skills help us remember things, stay focused, solve problems, and manage everyday tasks. But these skills are still developing during adolescence, and not all teenagers develop them at the same rate.
Understanding how executive skills develop can help parents move from frustration toward better ways of supporting their teen. This guide covers executive function by age, including:
Executive functioning skills are the mental skills we use to get things done every day. They act like the brain’s management system, helping us plan tasks, remember information, manage our time, regulate emotions, and control impulses.
Three core areas of executive functioning are:[1]
These skills involve areas of the brain in the frontal lobe, which continue developing throughout adolescence.[2] However, adolescent development doesn’t happen all at once; different parts of the brain mature at different times.
Executive function skills affect areas of a teen’s life, including:[1]
So if your teen finds it hard to get started, manage their time, stay organized, or control their impulses, they may be having difficulties with these skills.
But how can you tell the difference between typical teenage development and when your teen may need some extra support? Looking at developmental milestones can help.
Certain executive function skills tend to develop at different rates during adolescence. The rest of this article walks you through the key adolescent executive function milestones based on age.
Every teen is unique, so no two teenagers will develop at exactly the same rate. Although the teen brain stops growing in size by early adolescence, the teen years involve continued changes in how it works.[3]
However, certain executive skills tend to become stronger at different points during adolescence. The following sections look at what parents might notice at different ages, the challenges teens may face, and how you can support them.
Middle school can be a challenging time as children enter early adolescence and begin taking on more responsibility. They may be expected to organize their schoolwork, manage friendships, and become more independent, even while their executive skills are still developing.
You may notice your teen become better at thinking about ideas more abstractly and expressing their own opinions.[5] They might understand cause and effect, but still find it difficult to balance this reasoning with their impulses and the consequences of their choices.[6]
As executive skills are still developing, teens may experience difficulty with things like organization, planning, and impulse control. This might look like a drop in planning or organization skills, like losing folders, having a messy room, or forgetting about a long-term project until the night before it’s due.
They may also have stronger emotional reactions or experience challenges in managing their emotions when they’re frustrated or overwhelmed.
Looking at executive function by age means that as your teen develops these skills, you can adapt the support you give them. For instance, during early adolescence, you might shift from being more of a “manager” to becoming a co-pilot.
You don’t need to do the work for them, but you can be alongside them as they work things out. For example, you might use visual checklists or shared calendars to help them take on responsibility and remember things.
Starting high school can be an exciting time for many teens. During mid-adolescence, many teens become more aware of their peers and seek greater independence.
You may notice that your teen is becoming more focused on their friends and how others see them.[7] Reward-seeking might also be particularly strong around this age, making new or exciting experiences more tempting.[4]
Because social approval and rewards can feel particularly important at this age, teens may become more vulnerable to peer pressure or risky choices.[5][8] Their ability to pause and consider the consequences of a choice is still developing, which can make it harder to resist peer pressure. They may also want to spend more time with their friends as they become more independent.[7]
You could help your teen think about natural consequences. For example, you might ask, “If you stay out late with your friends tonight, what could that mean for the homework you have due tomorrow?”
Teens may be more receptive when you ask questions that encourage them to think through the consequences, rather than simply telling them what to do.
When looking at executive function by age, late adolescence is often a time when many teens have developed stronger executive skills, although these are still maturing.
As your teen reaches late adolescence, you may notice they’re better able to plan ahead, set goals, and manage their emotions.
Their executive skills are still developing, so challenges don’t necessarily disappear. Teens may still have occasional lapses in planning, organization, or impulse control, particularly when they’re stressed. They may also be managing new responsibilities, such as a first job or college, with less day-to-day support from you.
When your child was younger, you may have been more like a manager – getting them where they needed to be, scheduling their time, and keeping them organized. As they grow older, your role might shift toward being more of a consultant.
They may now be managing their own time, money, and, importantly, mistakes. You can still be a sounding board when they need one, while allowing them to take increasing responsibility for their decisions.
Brain development doesn’t simply stop when adolescence ends. Although the brain may not grow larger, it continues to mature after your child leaves school.
In fact, research suggests that the brain continues to mature and fine-tune its connections into a person’s mid-to-late 20s.[3][8] And the brain areas involved in executive functioning are among the last to mature.[3]
So, if your teen or young adult forgets something or makes a poor choice, remember that these moments don’t necessarily mean they’ve failed to develop.
Executive skills continue to mature over time. While there are some milestones for executive function by age, everyone develops at their own rate, and some skills may develop sooner or later than others. That’s okay.
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
The teenage years can be challenging for both teens and their parents. While some differences in development are completely normal, it can be worrying if you feel your teen is consistently finding things hard or falling behind their peers. You don’t have to carry that worry alone.
At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we specialize in supporting adolescents with their mental health and well-being. Our evidence-based treatment programs help teens develop organization, planning, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills, while also treating any mental health conditions that may be contributing to executive control challenges.
Whether your teen could benefit from high-level support, such as residential treatment at one of our locations, or something more flexible like an outpatient mental health program or virtual telehealth, our team can help.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
If you have any questions or concerns about your teen’s development, you can contact us online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’re here to answer your questions and help you explore the support available. You can also bookmark this guide to come back to later.
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If you have some ongoing questions about executive function milestones, the following answers to commonly asked questions on the topic may help.
There’s no concrete answer to this question. Executive function skills are typically known to stabilize around the ages 18- 20; however, they can continue to develop into the early twenties.
Executive function skills can be affected by factors such as stress, lack of sleep, environmental demands, learning difficulties, mental health, and developmental conditions.
If your teen seems to find these skills consistently hard, they may benefit from support tailored to their unique needs.
Yes, fortunately, executive function skills can improve and adapt at any stage of life. You might notice improvements throughout your teen’s development, but if they continue to struggle in certain areas, they might benefit from support to help them reach milestones.
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