Originally Posted by stemfun
How does one reconcile all this information on Executive Function with the research that says that highly gifted children start out with "a relatively thinner cortex", than peers "that thickened rapidly, peaking by age 11 or 12 before thinning" http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2006/cortex-matures-faster-in-youth-with-highest-iq.shtml

"The researchers found that the relationship between cortex thickness and IQ varied with age, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, seat of abstract reasoning, planning, and other "executive" functions".

Based on this research one will expect that most highly gifted children will not demonstrate high EF before the age on 11 or 12 and that most kids with high EF before this age will not be highly gifted kids. I wonder if that is the experience of most parents on this board?

I've read this before and wondered about it myself! DYS DD9 STILL lacks the EF skills I'd like to see (I'd say she, too, might even lag behind agemates in certain aspects of EF). She probably would have flunked the marshmallow test at 4 (might even flunk it today). Yet, she is clearly bright and high achieving. Her EF, skills, though are enough to keep me up at night worrying. HK and others...what helped???