So a metaphor I used with parents frequently to help them to understand what executive functions are, is the idea of a symphony.
A symphony orchestra is filled with musicians. A lot of times the kids who come into my office, who I evaluate, and I find out that they are top notch musicians. They are excellent and they're ready to go and to work in a very high level producing and playing exceptional pieces of music. However, these executive functions come from an area of the brain that I would say is analogous to the conductor of the symphony. When the conductor isn't as good as the musicians, it's confusing to people who are listening to the music.
So they will think, These are the greatest musicians in the world, and yet the music sometimes doesn't sound so good. The parents will come in and say, I think I have a very smart child, and sometimes there are these flashes of brilliance, yet I can't get my child to do basic things at home like clean their room or brush their teeth, go to bed on time, or put down their phone. Some parents will come in and they're confused, how can I have such a smart child, a gifted child. Just like in a symphony, how can I have the world's greatest musicians, but the music doesn't sound so good at times.
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