Executive Functioning Coach

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

99% of parents? Ha. Very few have the resources to hire this out, and usually it takes a lot more hours of coaching than a weekly session. The weekly session is for those kids who only need a little help and whose parents are too busy to do that extra little thing.

Like the rest of parenting, you observe your kid, identify where the problems are, and address them:
1. Timeliness: watch, timer, countdowns. There are visual ones that are very useful for the younger kids.
2. Long-term planning: planner (paper or electronic), reminder to add and cross off items in it.
3. Scheduling: daily schedule-making over many years gives them an idea of how long they'll take for any given thing. ADHD kids have a very poor sense of time.
4. Creating routines for daily tasks, particular morning and evening ones that have to be done mindlessly: always in the same order, so they don't skip something. I taught my son how to shower with a list of body parts he needed to address. He just couldn't handle a vague command, it had to be detailed.
5. Tidying-up and storage: as PP said, backpack systems, and room storage systems, clothes organizers, etc... Everything has to have a spot.

Basically, it all tends towards codifying and structuring their environment such that it's easier for them to remember what they need to go. And it goes beyond that into teaching them meta-awareness, that is, making them aware of the reasons it's done this way, so when they're older they can create their own tools and routines to improve their efficiency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

I have lots of ADHD books, this one is the one that will likely fit your needs. Author has ADHD, diagnosed later in life, has worked with los of kids in the UK with ADHD and some with troubled backgrounds likely related to poor executive functioning and previously undiagnosed ADHD.

How NOT to Murder Your ADHD Kid: Instead learn how to be your child's own ADHD coach….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

I have lots of ADHD books, this one is the one that will likely fit your needs. Author has ADHD, diagnosed later in life, has worked with los of kids in the UK with ADHD and some with troubled backgrounds likely related to poor executive functioning and previously undiagnosed ADHD.

How NOT to Murder Your ADHD Kid: Instead learn how to be your child's own ADHD coach….

Thank you! … PP you responded to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

99% of parents? Ha. Very few have the resources to hire this out, and usually it takes a lot more hours of coaching than a weekly session. The weekly session is for those kids who only need a little help and whose parents are too busy to do that extra little thing.

Like the rest of parenting, you observe your kid, identify where the problems are, and address them:
1. Timeliness: watch, timer, countdowns. There are visual ones that are very useful for the younger kids.
2. Long-term planning: planner (paper or electronic), reminder to add and cross off items in it.
3. Scheduling: daily schedule-making over many years gives them an idea of how long they'll take for any given thing. ADHD kids have a very poor sense of time.
4. Creating routines for daily tasks, particular morning and evening ones that have to be done mindlessly: always in the same order, so they don't skip something. I taught my son how to shower with a list of body parts he needed to address. He just couldn't handle a vague command, it had to be detailed.
5. Tidying-up and storage: as PP said, backpack systems, and room storage systems, clothes organizers, etc... Everything has to have a spot.

Basically, it all tends towards codifying and structuring their environment such that it's easier for them to remember what they need to go. And it goes beyond that into teaching them meta-awareness, that is, making them aware of the reasons it's done this way, so when they're older they can create their own tools and routines to improve their efficiency.

I disagree. My kid is neither one that needs only a little help nor am I too busy to help. I hired an executive function coach for my DD because she’s experienced and has much better tools and systems than I could come up with for my child. She doesn’t replace my role as a parent helping my child with all the things you mentioned, but instead supplements.

And I am probably one of the most organized people you will ever meet. I love lists, organizing and planning. But the EF coach has been so great at helping us figure out what works best for DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does an EF coach do exactly?

They nag your kid so you don’t have to

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

Of course! You don’t need to hire someone, these are basic organizational skills that most adults have. Use a different colored folder for each class. Work to do on one side, finished work on the other. Write down weekly what is due when. Make sheet that shows the hourly breakdown of each day and what activities/obligations they have and when. Then schedule in blocks of time each day they should be committing to homework/studying when they aren’t busy with something else. Make a copy for yourself and hang there in their room. Check up on them intermittently when they should be doing homework so you can 1) make sure they are actually doing it 2) progressing at a reasonable pace. If you notice they have been “working on their essay” for two hours and have one paragraph done, then you need to talk about what is going on and troubleshoot.

This is all basic parenting. The only reasons hire out and EF coach for this is if doing this has a negative impact on your relationship with them, you just don’t have the time to be focused in on what they are doing and helping, or if your child just plain doesn’t listen to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

Of course! You don’t need to hire someone, these are basic organizational skills that most adults have. Use a different colored folder for each class. Work to do on one side, finished work on the other. Write down weekly what is due when. Make sheet that shows the hourly breakdown of each day and what activities/obligations they have and when. Then schedule in blocks of time each day they should be committing to homework/studying when they aren’t busy with something else. Make a copy for yourself and hang there in their room. Check up on them intermittently when they should be doing homework so you can 1) make sure they are actually doing it 2) progressing at a reasonable pace. If you notice they have been “working on their essay” for two hours and have one paragraph done, then you need to talk about what is going on and troubleshoot.

This is all basic parenting. The only reasons hire out and EF coach for this is if doing this has a negative impact on your relationship with them, you just don’t have the time to be focused in on what they are doing and helping, or if your child just plain doesn’t listen to you.

Also to add, you may need to write down specifically what they are to work on during their designated homework blocks, as it related to when assignments are due. If they don’t intuitively manage which assignments to prioritize well.

[Anonymous]

New poster here - In addition to what a lot of people have said we are HUGE electronic calendar fans here. My son has a watch and has daily reminders for so many things. For example, "turn in science homework," "re-take test at lunch," "ask library for information on..." He is still young but each day we sit down and go over what he needs to do for the next day at school and add in reminders in his calendar and then his watch sends an alert.

I also go over our daily schedule with him each morning (Today we have baseball after school but you also need to practice your horn and do your homework) then when he gets home we go over it again. We just focus on schedules schedules schedules basically. It helps that this I run my own life that way so we have been doing it long before we got the ADHD diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

Of course! You don’t need to hire someone, these are basic organizational skills that most adults have. Use a different colored folder for each class. Work to do on one side, finished work on the other. Write down weekly what is due when. Make sheet that shows the hourly breakdown of each day and what activities/obligations they have and when. Then schedule in blocks of time each day they should be committing to homework/studying when they aren’t busy with something else. Make a copy for yourself and hang there in their room. Check up on them intermittently when they should be doing homework so you can 1) make sure they are actually doing it 2) progressing at a reasonable pace. If you notice they have been “working on their essay” for two hours and have one paragraph done, then you need to talk about what is going on and troubleshoot.

This is all basic parenting. The only reasons hire out and EF coach for this is if doing this has a negative impact on your relationship with them, you just don’t have the time to be focused in on what they are doing and helping, or if your child just plain doesn’t listen to you.

Right it’s that easy……

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

99% of parents? Ha. Very few have the resources to hire this out, and usually it takes a lot more hours of coaching than a weekly session. The weekly session is for those kids who only need a little help and whose parents are too busy to do that extra little thing.

Like the rest of parenting, you observe your kid, identify where the problems are, and address them:
1. Timeliness: watch, timer, countdowns. There are visual ones that are very useful for the younger kids.
2. Long-term planning: planner (paper or electronic), reminder to add and cross off items in it.
3. Scheduling: daily schedule-making over many years gives them an idea of how long they'll take for any given thing. ADHD kids have a very poor sense of time.
4. Creating routines for daily tasks, particular morning and evening ones that have to be done mindlessly: always in the same order, so they don't skip something. I taught my son how to shower with a list of body parts he needed to address. He just couldn't handle a vague command, it had to be detailed.
5. Tidying-up and storage: as PP said, backpack systems, and room storage systems, clothes organizers, etc... Everything has to have a spot.

Basically, it all tends towards codifying and structuring their environment such that it's easier for them to remember what they need to go. And it goes beyond that into teaching them meta-awareness, that is, making them aware of the reasons it's done this way, so when they're older they can create their own tools and routines to improve their efficiency.

I disagree. My kid is neither one that needs only a little help nor am I too busy to help. I hired an executive function coach for my DD because she’s experienced and has much better tools and systems than I could come up with for my child. She doesn’t replace my role as a parent helping my child with all the things you mentioned, but instead supplements.

And I am probably one of the most organized people you will ever meet. I love lists, organizing and planning. But the EF coach has been so great at helping us figure out what works best for DD.

Could you please share the name of that coach?

[Anonymous]

Could you please share the name of that coach?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could you please share the name of that coach?

I'm not the PP but we're happy with our coach. Email me and I'll send his contact info. [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anybody try to learn how to do EF on your own to help your child?

I know this is not ideal, but if anyone tried this, had some success, and used any resources (books, courses, etc.), along the way, please share.

Thank you!

Of course! You don’t need to hire someone, these are basic organizational skills that most adults have. Use a different colored folder for each class. Work to do on one side, finished work on the other. Write down weekly what is due when. Make sheet that shows the hourly breakdown of each day and what activities/obligations they have and when. Then schedule in blocks of time each day they should be committing to homework/studying when they aren’t busy with something else. Make a copy for yourself and hang there in their room. Check up on them intermittently when they should be doing homework so you can 1) make sure they are actually doing it 2) progressing at a reasonable pace. If you notice they have been “working on their essay” for two hours and have one paragraph done, then you need to talk about what is going on and troubleshoot.

This is all basic parenting. The only reasons hire out and EF coach for this is if doing this has a negative impact on your relationship with them, you just don’t have the time to be focused in on what they are doing and helping, or if your child just plain doesn’t listen to you.

Right it’s that easy……

It's really not that hard, just lots time, effort and PATIENCE.
We didn't hire a EF coach until college, when we couldn't physically be there to oversee these tasks.
DD has leveled out now but the EF coach did help her adjust to college life and establishing new study routine/habits.

[Anonymous]

Is your kid medicated OP? And to all the posters who have commented about their ADHD DC are they medicated? My DC has ADHD and we are on the fence about medication. We just stared with Varsity Tutors for executive functioning and Reading.

[Anonymous]

We’ve been very happy with Thinking Organized in Friendship Heights. Everyone we have met there has been great and my DD really trusts and values Robyn Clanton who she directly works with.