Development of Executive Functions Through Late Childhood and Adolescence in an Australian Sample
Abstract
Although there have been significant theoretical advances in the field of child neuropsychology, developmental features of adolescence have received less attention. Progress in clinical practice is restricted due to a lack of well-standardized, developmentally appropriate assessment techniques. This article addresses these issues in relation to executive skills. These abilities are targeted for 2 reasons: first, because they are often considered to be mature during late childhood and adolescence, despite limited investigation in this age range; and second, because of their central importance to efficient day-to-day functioning. Using a normative sample of 138 children, aged 11.0 to 17.11 years, this article plots the development of executive skills through late childhood and early adolescence and interprets progress in these skills with reference to current neurological and cognitive theory.
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Young people are still developing executive functioning skills such as self-monitoring and organization, which are necessary to identify a mental health problem and obtain support.
“Young people are also still developing skills in executive functioning such as self-monitoring and organization, which are necessary to identify a mental health problem and obtain support (9).”
From What Works and What Doesn’t Work? A Systematic Review of Digital Mental Health Interventions for Depression and Anxiety in Young People (2019) · cites this paper as [9]
Stages of considerable network reconfiguration may relate to nonlinear enhancement of certain cognitive skills.
“Stages of considerable network re-configuration may relate to nonlinear enhancement of certain cognitive skills”
From Developmental Changes in Organization of Structural Brain Networks (2013) · cites this paper as Anderson et al. 2001
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- Authors
- Anderson, V. A., Anderson, P., Northam, E., Jacobs, R., & Catroppa, C.
- Affiliations
- Royal Children's Hospital (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Venue
- Developmental Neuropsychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2001-08
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 385-406
- ISSN
- 1532-6942 (ISSN-L)
- 8756-5641
- OpenAlex
- W2095399267
- Cited by
- 825
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 54 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 53 · 2015: 44 · 2014: 53 · 2013: 55 · 2012: 39
- FWCI
- 11.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Developmental Neuropsychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- National Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Historical and Modern Theater Studies
- Keywords
- executive function, executive competencies, cognitive development, late childhood, adolescence, reference values, child neuropsychology, cognitive maturation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Australia, Child, Cognition, Female, Humans, Male, Wechsler Scales
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