When it comes to goal setting, planning, controlling impulses, etc., inhibition is a necessary trait to have. It allows people to be able to “create responses by using attention and reasoning” (Cognifit, 2016), rather than act on impulse, which for those with Autism, ADHD, “Asperger’s,” or other life challenges can be difficult to develop. Executive Functioning skills such as inhibition help to empower young adults who are college bound, in college or starting their life after college to succeed in life independently.

Being able to control impulses is an important skill to have in college. It can prevent young adults from starting conflicts and becoming sidetracked by things that are distracting them from the goals and plans they have set for themselves. When I was speaking to a client recently, they told me about how often they would let their impulses get the best of them. They would allow a thought they had to be just blurted out or another task that they randomly thought of distract them from the being in the moment, which eventually became frustrating for them and those around them. They felt as if their tasks never got done, and sometimes their inability to respond to things using reasoning and attention to detail only exemplified that, which led them to want change their way of thinking and acting. They began working on their ability to inhibit these impulses and control them to ensure that their responses were well thought out. Eventually, goal setting, anticipation, and planning became easier, showing them the importance of this essential skill.

Inhibition in a nutshell is a “cognitive behavior and is how the brain corrects behavior.” (Cognifit, 2016). Without it, independent life as a young adult and grown adult can prove more difficult than it may need to be. Without this ability, young adults will just do and say as they please, which can lead to conflict between themselves and peers, in class, with peers and family and eventually in the workplace. If a person cannot stop and use reasoning when acting, they can say hurtful things to the people they care about, hurting the relationship they are trying to nurture. Young adults could also find it difficult to deal with a roommate since, at times, there are some things they do that they don’t like. However, having the skills to able to inhibit the feeling of wanting to snap and yell at them and use reason and self-control to think about what to say and how to say it in a respectful way, it can massively help with conflict resolution, and save your relationship as well. Although this sounds easy on paper, having and being able to execute executive functioning skills such as inhibition can be hard, since a lot of people with life challenges can struggle with them. In fact, “As many as 80% of [those with life challenges] also have associative executive functioning skills.” (Willoughby, 2022). With such a high number of people with life challenges struggling with these skills, it’s no secret that there is a need for aid when it comes to teaching them how to properly incorporate executive functioning skills in their life, and the College Life Skills Program is designed to help them master these skills and more.

At the CollegeLSP, our team of Doctoral and Master level professionals utilizes a series of services and techniques to help young adults who are college bound, in college, and even after college succeed in and after their transition into independent life. We help teach them skills such as inhibition to help them learn how to manage their independent life successfully on their own, as well as other executive functioning skills, life skills, social skills and the development of emotional maturity. So, if your child is struggling with executive functioning, CollegeLSP has the tools to aid them in achieving such skills.

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.

Willoughby. (2022, June 23). Executive functioning explained. The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE). Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.aane.org/executive-functioning-explained/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20as%20many%20as,the%20diagnostic%20criteria%20for%20autism.

Cognifit. Inhibition or inhibitory control- Cognitive Ability. (2016, June 8). Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.cognifit.com/science/cognitive-skills/inhibition