A lot of the work I do focuses, of course, on executive function. But what happens when someone doesn’t know what this term means? At best, our work becomes less effective, but at worst, it can mean we might not get the help we need. Let’s take some time to discuss this term and think about why it matters.
A great analogy for “executive function” is that together, the parts of your brain (most notably, the frontal lobes) responsible for executive functions operate as the CEO. If we think about an effective CEO of an organization, we think about their ability to organize themselves, remember important information, self-monitor and self-regulate their behavior to strengthen their interpersonal interactions, focus on tasks for a prolonged period of time, and shift between tasks flexibly.
Most likely, a CEO didn’t become CEO overnight. Instead, we can guess that they committed themselves to their work over a long period of time, and learned or created strategies to help them succeed. This is precisely where executive function coaching comes in! For many of us, creating a plan, setting goals, managing our time, regulating our emotions, and flexibly shifting between tasks can be challenging. For those of us with a learning disability or ADHD, the difficulty can increase even more.
Working together, we can identify areas of strength (sense of humor, creativity, empathy, love of reading, athleticism) and consider how to create strategies that use these strengths to bolster areas of difficulty (organizing materials, prioritizing tasks, identifying how long assignments will take, managing time). Let’s work together to make you a stronger learner, so that you can let your strengths shine!
Do you have questions about strategies to start your year off on the right foot? Please reach out to schedule a consultation at danaroseroth at gmail dot com.
Connecting students with strategies to succeed 