Executive Functioning Coach

Executive Functioning Coaching involves partnering with students to support their executive functioning skills to develop lifelong strategies and skills needed to succeed in and outside of school.

Executive function refers to a collection of cognitive processes that help us to get things done. It encompasses the ability to strategize and arrange tasks, as well as connect prior experiences to the current situation. It’s often likened to the chief executive officer (CEO) of the brain, responsible for ensuring the successful execution of various tasks. Check out this comprehensive guide on essential executive functioning skills.

EF coaches work with children, teenagers, and adults, who may have difficulties with executive functioning skills. Think about the following questions.

Does your child/teen…
Frequently forgets to turn in assignments or easily overwhelmed by big assignments?
Has difficulty managing his/her time?
Find it challenging to focus or start a new task?
Seem well-versed in the subject matter but struggle to perform well in tests?
Have a notable level of anxiety associated with school?

If you answered yes to some of the questions above, your child or teen may benefit from working with an executive functioning coach.

It can be highly effective when working with an experienced coach or educator. Building a strong rapport with the student is one of the most important factors for effective coaching. It shouldn’t be a top-down approach but a close partnership between the student and coach. An effective coach should actively engage the student when establishing a goal or implementing a new strategy.

Because there are no specific credentials needed to become an executive functioning coach, it is imperative that you find an experienced educator with a deep understanding of learning challenges and working knowledge of research-based teaching techniques. At Strategies for Learning, we have a team of credentialed Educational Therapists and Specialists with an extensive track record. Learn more about our team or Educational Therapy.

An executive functioning coach will work with students to identify areas of weakness, set goals, and develop a plan of action to achieve both short-term and long-term goals. Examples of skills they may work on include planning, managing time, test-taking strategies, study skills, staying motivated, managing stress, thinking flexibility, regulating emotions, organization, self-advocacy, and many more.

Yes! EF coaching can help students struggling in school and need help managing the challenges of both school and daily life. It can be especially beneficial for students who have underlying learning difficulties like ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or poor working memory.

An EF coach may provide support in specific subject areas like reading, writing, and math along with executive functioning strategies to help facilitate the learning.

An executive functioning coach can work with students individually or in a small group setting. Small group instruction provides an opportunity to learn alongside peers who may be facing similar challenges and have like-minded goals. It is also more affordable than 1:1 instruction. On the other hand, 1:1 instruction allows support to be custom-tailored to the individual’s needs. In general, when it comes to students requiring a “boost,” small group instruction could be an excellent choice, whereas students with underlying learning disabilities might find greater benefit from 1:1 coaching.

Learn more about our Beyond High School Course. A 2-week small group course designed to support college-bound students.