What is Executive Function Coaching and is it Right for my Child?
The Science behind ADHD and Executive Function
After an initial diagnosis, it can feel overwhelming to figure out the best course of action to support your child with ADHD. It’s common to see the recommendation “work with an Executive Function Coach” in a neuropsychological evaluation — but then comes the question: what is executive function, and what does executive function coaching entail?
Dr. Russell Barkley, one of the most prominent clinicians in ADHD research, argues that ADHD should be understood as a difference in executive function rather than only inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity. Executive function skills are brain-based skills that help a person self-regulate, manage tasks, and organize the resources involved in achieving a goal. These skills are housed primarily in the prefrontal cortex of the brain (the front of the brain) and include the skills listed in the graphic below.
Although children with ADHD may be intellectually typical, Dr. Barkley explains that children diagnosed with ADHD can have up to a 30% delay in their executive function capabilities when compared to neurotypical children of the same age. This means a 10-year-old child with ADHD may have the executive function skills of a 7-year-old.
While executive function skills typically continue developing until approximately age 25–30, ADHD is a chronic neurocognitive difference in executive functioning, and related challenges can persist into adulthood. It is important to observe your child’s behavior through an executive function lens, as it can offer clarity around some of the frustrating and often confusing behaviors your child may continue to exhibit.
So what can you do to help your child with their executive function challenges?
At The Learning Collective ATX, we offer executive function coaching to teach students the strategies and tools they need to help strengthen their executive function skills. We offer a three-part approach:
Personalized Executive Function Coaching for your Child: This is 1:1 coaching that is tailored to your child’s needs—whether it is teaching backpack and school supply organization, time management strategies, creating a homework routine, promoting growth mindset shifts or keeping track of homework assignments etc.
Parent Coaching: This is where a lot of the magic happens. At the end of the day, the parents are the ones who have to be equipped with the knowledge and commitment to help their child put these executive function strategies into play.
Join our Skool Community (coming February 2026!): A welcoming community for parents of students with executive function challenges. Connect with others who truly understand your experience, receive ongoing support as you apply strategies to help strengthen your child’s developing EF skills, gain access to cutting-edge EF tools and approaches, join monthly Zoom community calls, and learn directly from leading experts in the neurodivergent space through live guest talks and workshops.
