If you hired an executive function coach …

[Anonymous]

Was it worth it?

My DD is a rising freshman. She has dyslexia and related challenges but more debilitating for her is the ADHD and slow processing. She is not well organized, forgets to do things or doesn’t finish assignments on time, has trouble getting started or planning/chunking projects out, etc.

She’s been at a small private but is now coming to big MCPS and I’m very worried about how she will acclimate.

For those of you who hired a coach to help with these kinds of things, did it help and what did it cost (generally)? TIA!

[Anonymous]

$200/1 hr session that we could submit to our insurance to meet our out of network deductible. The first few sessions were very very helpful for our DD to put certain practices in place but over time the success dwindled. Just our experience.

[Anonymous]

So what did you do? Do it yourself? Switch coaches?

This is part of the issue. If DD would listen to me or DH, there wouldn’t be a need to pay for this. We’ll certainly be paying enough other tutors.

[Anonymous]

My husband and I were his executive function coaches. Mostly me. We couldn't hire anyone, because the afternoon part was relatively easy. It was the morning and evening time which was horrid, when his meds weren't there to help. We had to issue multiple reminders to get up, get dressed, eat, leave on time; and in the evening, it was help him break up some larger assignments into manageable chunks, attempt to keep him on track time-wise (his abysmally low processing speed got in the way), and tell him to go to sleep already. The afternoon, the only portion of the day when we could have hired someone, wasn't that much of a problem.

[Anonymous]

It didn't help my DS much (high school student). There needs to be some intrisic motivation on the part of the child to change, no matter how challenging it may be. That was lacking from our DS and it felt like another thing to pour hundreds into each month. I snooped through their text exchanges and it felt like I was paying someone to nag my kid about deadlines. I suppose that could be helpful to some, but it didn't do much in our house.

[Anonymous]

Started at $125/hour then $150/hour, and worth every penny (one hour per week while school is in session).

"...not well organized, forgets to do things or doesn’t finish assignments on time, has trouble getting started or planning/chunking projects out, etc." is like my kid to a T. EF coach helps them get organized, stay organized and on top of work, keep a schedule for doing work over the next week, etc.

[Anonymous]

yes. Ours is a relative bargain and we are thrilled.
It will depend on the coach. I will say that pre-kid I would have balked at this idea totally, but it is helping him. your mileage will vary.

[Anonymous]

It was worth it to build skills around planning and assignment chunking and (perhaps more important) take me out of the role of homework nag. It cost $150/hour. They met twice a week by zoom - once for 60 minutes and once for 30 minutes. During exam time, we sometimes added 15 minute check ins. It wasn't a magic cure -- we still had trouble with implementation and work avoidance -- but it was still an improvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It didn't help my DS much (high school student). There needs to be some intrisic motivation on the part of the child to change, no matter how challenging it may be. That was lacking from our DS and it felt like another thing to pour hundreds into each month. I snooped through their text exchanges and it felt like I was paying someone to nag my kid about deadlines. I suppose that could be helpful to some, but it didn't do much in our house.

100% agree with the intrinsic motivation. Also I cannot believe what these executive functioning coaches charge-also FYI it doesn’t require an actual degree/certificate/license to call yourself one so you really have to make sure you are getting an actual SLP etc…and even then a lot of the times if it’s at a practice they will have an “assistant” do the actual work with your kid. Just be careful if you go this route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It didn't help my DS much (high school student). There needs to be some intrisic motivation on the part of the child to change, no matter how challenging it may be. That was lacking from our DS and it felt like another thing to pour hundreds into each month. I snooped through their text exchanges and it felt like I was paying someone to nag my kid about deadlines. I suppose that could be helpful to some, but it didn't do much in our house.

100% agree with the intrinsic motivation. Also I cannot believe what these executive functioning coaches charge-also FYI it doesn’t require an actual degree/certificate/license to call yourself one so you really have to make sure you are getting an actual SLP etc…and even then a lot of the times if it’s at a practice they will have an “assistant” do the actual work with your kid. Just be careful if you go this route.

I don’t agree that the coach needs to have an SLP to be successful in all cases, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It didn't help my DS much (high school student). There needs to be some intrisic motivation on the part of the child to change, no matter how challenging it may be. That was lacking from our DS and it felt like another thing to pour hundreds into each month. I snooped through their text exchanges and it felt like I was paying someone to nag my kid about deadlines. I suppose that could be helpful to some, but it didn't do much in our house.

100% agree with the intrinsic motivation. Also I cannot believe what these executive functioning coaches charge-also FYI it doesn’t require an actual degree/certificate/license to call yourself one so you really have to make sure you are getting an actual SLP etc…and even then a lot of the times if it’s at a practice they will have an “assistant” do the actual work with your kid. Just be careful if you go this route.

I don’t agree that the coach needs to have an SLP to be successful in all cases, fwiw.

you misread-I said SLP etc…meaning that or other trained actual professional.

[Anonymous]

What’s an slp?

[Anonymous]

Op here

I have phone calls with three of them today so we will see.

My kid isn’t motivated at all herself — that’s part of the issue. I can’t even get her to use reminders on her phone!

[Anonymous]

I should note that DH thinks it’s all a bunch of hooey and that DD should sink or swim on her own. We all know what would happen though. She would sink straight to the bottom faster than a rock. There has to be some middle ground that doesn’t involve me doing everything, or most of the things.

[Anonymous]

Our just showed him how to set up his backpack.

Folders, etc.

We also had to give home 5 minutes of silence in the am to get his book bag together in the am.