Executive Functioning Coach: Helping Students Thrive

For Parents

November 20, 2024

Strong executive function skills are essential for students to stay focused, manage time, and achieve goals in today’s distracting world. These skills help students confidently navigate school, extracurriculars, and social life. Untapped Learning’s executive functioning coaches provide personalized support to strengthen these skills, empowering students to thrive and reach their full potential

What is an Executive Functioning Coach?

An executive functioning coach specializes in helping individuals apply their executive function skills to real-world situations. They collaborate with students to improve their ability to plan, organize, initiate tasks, and manage time effectively. Unlike a traditional tutor who might focus solely on academic content, an executive functioning coach ensures that students can utilize these skills practically and consistently to achieve their goals in their daily lives. Untapped Learning provides personalized coaching tailored to meet each student’s unique needs and learning style.

Understanding Executive Function and Executive Functioning

To better understand the role of a coach, let’s clarify the difference between these two related concepts:

Executive Function: This refers to the cognitive skills that help us to manage our behavior and engage in goal-directed actions. These include planning, organization, working memory, time management, and mental flexibility.

Executive Functioning: This describes how effectively we utilize those executive function skills in our everyday lives. It involves applying these cognitive tools to real-world tasks and challenges.

How an Executive Functioning Coach Makes a Difference

Knowing about executive function skills is one thing, but consistently using them in everyday life is where the real challenge lies. This is where an executive functioning coach can make a significant difference. They help students bridge the gap between understanding these skills in theory and applying them to their actual schoolwork, activities, and daily routines.

At Untapped Learning, our coaches work closely with students, providing the personalized guidance and support they need to turn their executive function skills into successes.

How Does an Executive Functioning Coach Support Students?

Executive functioning coaches tailor their guidance to address the specific needs of each student. Here are some key ways they provide support:

Developing Time Management Skills: Coaches teach students strategies for breaking down assignments into smaller, more manageable steps and creating realistic schedules

Decrease Procrastination: Coaches help students overcome the challenge of getting started on tasks by providing techniques to begin and maintain momentum.

Improve Organization: From organizing binders and backpacks to managing digital files, coaches work with students to develop organizational systems that reduce clutter and improve efficiency.

Enhancing Focus and Productivity: Coaches help students identify and minimize distractions, and develop strategies to improve concentration and work more effectively.

Promoting Flexibility: Recognizing that life often presents unexpected challenges, coaches help students develop the adaptability to adjust their plans while staying on track toward their goals.

Who Benefits from Executive Functioning Coaching?

Executive functioning coaching isn’t just for students facing specific challenges; all students can benefit from developing these essential life skills. Strong executive function skills are needed for academic success, time management, and overall well-being.

Middle School Students: These years are crucial for establishing a solid foundation of executive function skills to manage increasing academic demands.

High School Students: With more rigorous coursework and college preparation, high school students benefit from coaching to improve their time management, organizational abilities, and study skills.

College Students: The transition to college brings new challenges and greater independence. Coaches help students develop systems to manage their responsibilities and thrive in a less structured environment.

Neurodiverse Individuals: Students with conditions such as ADHD or learning differences, who often face executive function challenges, can significantly benefit from the structured approach of a coach. Coaches develop personalized strategies to leverage each student’s strengths.

Why Choose Executive Functioning Coaching at Untapped Learning?

The individualized support provided by an executive functioning coach at Untapped Learning equips students with the tools they need to succeed academically and in life beyond school. By focusing on both skill development and application, our coaches empower students to manage their responsibilities confidently and achieve their full potential.

Investing in executive functioning coaching is an investment in a student’s future. The skills gained through coaching have a lasting, positive impact.

If you’re ready to help your student thrive and reach their goals, contact Untapped Learning today to learn more about how an executive functioning coach can make a significant difference.

Brandon Slade is the founder of Untapped Learning. He combines his personal experience with executive function challenges with his years of experience in order to help students across the country.