Executive functioning is a buzz word in the learning disability community that often seems mysterious. I have first hand experience with executive functioning problems. My daughter wakes up for school and takes at least 40 minutes if not more to get dressed and brush her teeth in the morning. Unfortunately the bus leaves at the same time each day and will not wait. She seems to have no sense of time to my great frustration.
We live by a timer. She uses a timer to clean her room, get dress, get ready for transitions and more. Time is a concept that seems to mean little to her. Luckily she is eight so we can work on her time management skills. Poor time management is one element of executive function.