Challenges in executive functioning (EF) are widely reported among individuals with ASD and are associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but they cannot be localized to one area of the brain. Executive functions skills include attending, organization, and planning. EF impairments create everyday problems for persons with ASD including difficulty maintaining reciprocal social relationships, having two-sided conversations, completing and submitting school assignments in a timely manner, transitioning between activities, and disengaging from their repetitive interests and behaviors. In typical development, most executive functions mature by 15 years (Solomon, 2013).
