Executive Functioning Skills: Task Initiation and Autism (Part I)

What Are Executive Functioning (EF) Skills? 

Executive functioning (EF) skills are like the brain’s management system. They’re the set of mental processes that help students:

• Plan and organize– set goals, make a plan, and keep materials in order.
• Start tasks– even when it feels hard.
• Use working memory– hold onto information long enough to use it (like remembering directions while completing a task).
• Control impulses– pause before acting, make safe choices, and follow rules.
• Shift thinking– adapt when routines change, or move between activities smoothly.
• Manage emotions– handle frustration, regulate energy, and respond appropriately in social situations.

These higher-level skills are what allow students to focus, problem-solve, and reach their goals. Research shows that EF skills are foundational for success in school and after graduation – predicting academic achievement, social adaptability, and long-term outcomes (Wallace, 2024).

When EF skills are weak, students may look unmotivated, defiant, or distracted, however, they’re often struggling with the “how” of managing their learning, not the “what.”

EF Challenges and Autism– Overview 

For many autistic students, EF difficulties are especially common. An estimated 70% to 80% of people on the spectrum experience EF challenges (Schifano, 2025).

Similar to the autism spectrum itself, every student will have unique EF profiles – areas of strength alongside areas of significant difficulty. It’s important to understand these challenges as brain-based, not character-based. When we view them this way, we can better approach students with understanding and provide meaningful support rather than assuming laziness or defiance.

EF Challenges- Let’s Get Specific

Okay, so what can we do? Let’s start with focusing in on one of the many EF sub-skills. This quarter, I’m going to focus in on “task initiation.”

Why? Because it was an area many of my students struggled with, it’s an area of concern I’ve heard come up across our regions, AND it’s an area I have personal interest in as I too struggle with this skill (it may be worth noting I have waited until the last minute to submit this article!).

Task Initiation: What is it? Why is it important?

Simply put, task initiation is, “the ability to start a task efficiently without unnecessary delay,” (Carder, 2025). Have you ever had a ton of paperwork to do, but, instead of getting started, you decide to first reorganize your classroom, go find more disinfectant wipes, oh and the printer is finally free so perhaps you print out those student work materials… And so on? I call this Productive Procrastination. The things you are doing are useful, but they are not necessary for getting that paperwork done. This can become a problem when we start missing deadlines, experiencing unyielding stress, or, with our students, they miss out on learning opportunities.

Task Initiation: How Challenges May Show Up

In the classroom, challenges with task initiation may look like: 

• Delaying starting assignments despite understanding them. 
• Saying, “I don’t know where to begin,” even after instructions. 
• Engaging in other productive yet not important, “right now,” tasks.
  • For example: Messing with fonts before typing up the draft paragraph; Sharpening the pencil, again, before starting the math problems.
• Appearing stuck, withdrawn, or unable to transition between tasks.

These behaviors may be perceived as refusal, avoidance, or laziness, however, they may actually reflect genuine EF struggles.

Task Initiation: Strategies to Consider

The Strategy	Details	Tips to Get You Started
TRY FOR 5	Try a tough task for just 5 minutes (adjust time depending on the student). Then reflect: How do you feel after 5 minutes? What was accomplished? Need a break then try for 5 more minutes? Sometimes having it in our mind that we are going to try something for just a bit helps us to realize, “Oh, this isn’t so bad. I can do this.”	– Use a timer to support this strategy. – With the reflection questions, the student can track how long they actively engaged in the task. After a period of success, let’s try for 6 minutes and so on.
BREAK TASKS INTO SMALLER STEPS	Break down those big, overwhelming tasks!	– Completing a task analysis will help with this. – From there, develop a developmentally appropriate checklist for the student.
EASY XP (XP = Experience Points. This is a video game reference. Change the name as needed.)	When a student has a whole list of tasks to complete, have them circle the 1 or 2 that are the easiest for them or will take the least amount of time. Student then starts with those circled tasks to gain momentum towards the more challenging or least preferred tasks.	– This approach helps to chip away at those long to-do lists. When we start seeing some items getting checked off, that can help encourage and provide more energy to continue chipping away at the other tasks.
ENVIRONMENT SWITCH UP	It can be helpful to give our brains a reset by changing something up if the current conditions are not working. Sometimes sitting too long in the same spot can be taxing on our brains and bodies. It can be helpful to have a small reset to help students see the task with a refreshed mindset.	– Can they sit in a different spot? Give two options so this doesn’t become an avoidance tactic. However, sometimes just sitting near the teacher or by natural light can give students a little boost to give the task a go. Plus, the getting up and moving can help to re-energize. – Can we embed music without lyrics? Let’s reset this time from dreary and boring to tolerable and perhaps enjoyable. – Is the space chaotic? Perhaps we need to do a little organizing ahead of time to make the space more sensory-friendly.
REWARD AND CELEBRATE THE SMALL STUFF	Getting started on tasks can not only be challenging but sometimes physically painful to some. Not to say the student is needlepointing and the task itself is painful because they’re pricking their finger, for instance, but the lack of engagement or the barriers to starting that task can trigger pain centers in the brain. We need to recognize and celebrate all progress towards that end goal.	– What motivates the student? What provides a little boost during tasks? – Start small to go big. – Recognize that we do this all the time as adults. For instance, you have a lot of paperwork to do this weekend so you decide after you finish two papers you’ll treat yourself to a specialty coffee before then tackling the rest. You are motivating yourself to get started!

I recently listened to a podcast episode called, “Why Can’t I Just START?!- ADHD + Task Initiation,” hosted by Kristen Carder. Within, she discusses research that considers how someone who is neurodiverse may need more than motivation alone to complete a task.

So what’s missing?

1. Being interested, fascinated, or passionate about a task
2. Finding the challenge or novelty of a task
3. Having a sense of urgency (i.e. the task is important right now because it’s due in 1 hour)

You might be thinking, “Well, not every task is going to be fascinating.” And that’s true, however, how can we help students connect tasks with the why behind? How does this task support something that is important to the student? How can we work on those self-determination skills for students to persevere through those lackluster tasks? You might not find dusting “fascinating,” but you do it so you aren’t sneezing, your home feels and looks a certain way, etc. You are able to connect that task to a greater purpose. Alternatively, if you don’t care if your home is dusty, you know your judgy family member will care, and they are visiting tomorrow so… you persevere and dust.

When an autistic person is not taught how to manage their executive functioning difficulties in a way that works for how they naturally learn, work, and operate, then they inevitably deal with challenges in planning, prioritizing, and maintaining focus and in initiating and transitioning between tasks.

Alexander Gentry

Neurodivergent Language Lover and Freelancer

Check out the I Have ADHD Podcast to hear more on connecting values and purpose to tasks. Additionally, check out Alexander Gentry’s full article for ideas on how to connect interests with tasks.

In Summary

• What: Task initiation is beginning a task – often difficult due to cognitive blocks, not laziness.
• Why it matters: Challenges here can derail academic effort and routine. Looking into adulthood, this could lead to missed deadlines and opportunities, not to mention the mental toll that can occur when a person is constantly struggling to start tasks they want to get done.
• How it might look: Students may delay, avoid, or seem “stuck,” even when they want to get the task done.
• Strategies: The listed strategies are intended to create starting points for you! Reach out for additional details or support.

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What to Expect from Future Newsletter Articles

Each newsletter, I’ll focus on one Executive Functioning skill, highlighting: 

• What the skill means and why it matters 
• Challenges our neurodiverse students may encounter (remember, “neurodiverse” encompasses other disabilities such as ADHD)
• Strategies to consider

Topics I’ll Cover: 

• Task Initiation (September Newsletter)
• Working Memory (December Newsletter)
• Self-Monitoring (March Newsletter)
• TBD – Based on reader feedback… there are a lot of skills, and I’d love to hear from you what else would be helpful! (May Newsletter)

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A final note: Out of deep respect for diverse perspectives, I use both people-first and identity-first language throughout my articles.

Words are powerful; everyone’s experiences are unique. Be sure to always ask and honor individual preferences.

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References:

• Belsky, G. (2024, August 21). The 3 areas of executive function. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/types-of-executive-function-skills
• Carder, K. (2025, June 10). Episode #319: “why can’t I just start?!” – ADHD + task initiation – I have ADHD. I Have ADHD – Helping adults with ADHD survive and thrive in a chaotic world. https://ihaveadhd.com/episode-319-why-cant-i-just-start-adhd-task-initiation/#transcript
• Demetriou, E. A., DeMayo, M. M., & Guastella, A. J. (2019). Executive function in autism spectrum disorder: History, theoretical models, empirical findings, and potential as an endophenotype. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00753
• Gentry, A. (2024, October 20). Autism and task initiation: The Struggle of Getting Started. Medium. https://medium.com/@gentryalexander13/autism-and-task-initiation-the-struggle-of-getting-started-a7d2fe03d3b9
• Jack, C. (2021, August 18). 7 executive functioning challenges for people with autism. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-autism-spectrum-disorder/202108/7-executive-functioning-challenges-people-autism
• Mead, K. (2024, December 29). Autism and executive functioning. Bristol Autism Support. https://www.bristolautismsupport.org/autism-and-executive-functioning/
• Schifano, K. (2025, June 27). Executive functioning in autism: Strategies for adults. Executive Functioning in Autism: Strategies for Adults. https://www.prosperhealth.io/blog/executive-functioning-in autism#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways,certain%20areas%20of%20executive%20functioning.
• Wallace, G. (2024, July 10). Executive function and autism. Autism Research Institute. https://autism.org/exeuctive-function-autism/