What are Executive Function Skills?
Today’s post comes courtesy of a good friend and colleague of mine, Megan Barnett. Megan is an amazing executive function & ADHD/2e coach, educator, and founder of The Learning Collective. Many students I work with benefit from an executive function coach, and Megan is one of the best in the business.
What Are Executive Function Skills and How Does Executive Function Coaching Help?
After an initial ADHD diagnosis, it can feel overwhelming trying to figure out the best next steps to support your child. It’s common to see the recommendation to “work with an Executive Function Coach” on a neuropsychological evaluation—but then comes the questions:
What exactly are executive function skills?
And what does executive function coaching actually entail?
At The Learning Collective ATX, we take a nervous-system-informed, strength-based approach to executive function (EF) coaching. We believe every child can thrive when their unique wiring is understood, supported, and celebrated.
What Are Executive Function Skills?
Executive function skills are often called the “brain’s management system.” They live primarily in the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for organizing, planning, and regulating daily life. These skills help us set goals, stay focused, adapt to changes, and follow through on tasks.
For children and teens with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or other neurodivergent profiles, executive function development can follow a different timeline. These differences are not a lack of motivation or willpower—they’re about how the brain is wired.
Core Executive Function Skills Include:
Planning & Prioritizing — Breaking big projects into manageable steps
Task Initiation — Getting started, even on low-interest tasks
Time Management — Estimating how long things take and staying on track
Organization — Keeping track of schoolwork, materials, and digital spaces
Emotional Regulation — Managing frustration, stress, and anxiety
Working Memory — Holding information in mind for multi-step tasks
Response Inhibition — Pausing before reacting and making thoughtful choices
The 30% Developmental Difference: Why ADHD Brains Need More Support
Dr. Russell Barkley, one of the leading ADHD researchers, explains that children with ADHD often experience about a 30% developmental delay in executive function skills compared to neurotypical peers.
That means a 10-year-old with ADHD may have the executive function capacity of a 7-year-old, especially when it comes to low-interest or non-stimulating tasks—like organizing their backpack, completing math worksheets, or remembering to submit homework.
This gap can lead to frustration for both parents and kids, especially when expectations don’t align with where the child’s brain-based development actually is. Recognizing this difference shifts the narrative from “won’t” to “can’t yet.” And that’s where executive function coaching can make a profound difference.
A Polyvagal Lens: Why the Nervous System Matters
Executive function skills don’t operate in isolation—they’re deeply connected to your child’s nervous system state. When your child feels safe, connected, and supported, the prefrontal cortex—where EF skills live—can come fully online.
But when the nervous system senses threat, overwhelm, or shame, the brain shifts into survival mode, making it harder to focus, plan, and problem-solve.
At The Learning Collective, we integrate polyvagal principles into EF coaching by helping students:
Recognize when their nervous system feels dysregulated
Build self-awareness tools to return to a regulated state
Create home and school environments that feel safe and supportive
Because strategies only work when the body feels safe.
What Is Executive Function Coaching?
Executive function coaching bridges the gap between knowing what to do and being able to do it. At TLC, we take a collaborative, whole-child approach that integrates tools, strategies, and emotional support.
For Students:
Weekly 45-minute coaching sessions (virtual or in-person)
Building personalized systems for:
Tracking assignments
Planning and prioritizing work
Organizing materials and digital spaces
Managing time and energy
Practicing emotional regulation strategies and self-awareness tools
Understanding when their nervous system is dysregulated—and how to return to balance
For Parents:
Parent involvement is one of the most powerful factors in supporting EF development in children with ADHD. That’s why we include:
Four required parent coaching sessions alongside student work
Training in the same tools and strategies your child is learning in their coaching sessions
Guidance on how to co-regulate and create environments where your child’s brain can thrive
Access to our ADHD + EF Parent Crash Course and ongoing parent community
Why Executive Function Coaching Works
Because executive function skills develop differently for children with ADHD, coaching provides the structure, strategies, and co-regulation they need to bridge that developmental gap.
We help families create environments, systems, and routines that meet your child where they are developmentally—while teaching practical tools to build confidence and independence.
Our Approach: Strengths First
We believe ADHD isn’t a deficit to “fix”—it’s a difference to understand and support. By leaning into your child’s strengths, passions, and natural interests, we build skill development around what’s already working.
When kids feel safe, understood, and empowered, executive function skills grow more naturally—and confidence follows.
Final Thoughts
An ADHD diagnosis can feel overwhelming—but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Executive function coaching isn’t about “fixing” your child; it’s about working with their brain and nervous system, not against them.
With the right supports, your child can develop essential executive function skills, gain confidence, and thrive—not just in school, but in life. At The Learning Collective ATX, we’re here to guide your family every step of the way.