Struggling with Executive Functioning? Here’s How Therapy + Parent Coaching Can Help

In a world full of lists, deadlines, distractions, and responsibilities, executive functioning is the mental engine that helps us get things done. It governs planning, organization, time management, self-monitoring, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills that don’t always come naturally, especially for individuals with ADHD, autism, or those recovering from a brain injury.

Whether you’re the parent of a bright but disorganized teen, the partner of an adult with executive challenges, or the caregiver of someone recovering from a traumatic brain injury, it can feel overwhelming. That’s where executive function coaching comes in- offering targeted therapy for the individual, along with support and coaching for parents and caregivers to promote carryover in everyday life.

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Lessons I've Gained Through the Years...

After over 30 years as a speech-language pathologist, I’ve worked with many of children, teens, and adults struggling with executive functioning challenges. Whether it’s ADHD, high-functioning autism, a traumatic brain injury, or simply a brain wired a little differently—one thing has become clear:

Progress doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens through relationships, relevance, and real-world support.

That’s the heart of my executive functioning therapy model: personalized intervention for the individual, paired with strategic coaching for the parent or caregiver, because lasting change comes from connection and collaboration.

What Executive Functioning Therapy Ought to Be

Executive functioning impacts every part of life- getting started, staying organized, shifting focus, regulating emotions, planning ahead, following through. These aren’t just “school skills” or “task strategies.” They are life skills.

In my practice, I focus on helping individuals of all ages strengthen these skills in meaningful, practical ways. But I don’t just hand over strategies and expect them to work. I spend time:

• Building trust with the client

• Learning what motivates them

• Understanding family dynamics

• Supporting caregivers to implement tools at home

  
  

Therapy is customized, relationship-driven, and grounded in what’s relevant right now, whether that’s learning to use a planner, planning tomorrow’s routine, or advocating for extra time on a test.

Coaching That Goes Beyond the Session

One of the most powerful shifts I’ve seen in my work is what happens when caregivers become part of the process. Not as passive observers, but as trained supports who understand how to scaffold independence and reinforce success.

This parent/caregiver coaching component helps:

• Reinforce strategies between sessions

• Reduce power struggles and nagging

• Facilitate self-awareness and self-monitoring in the moment

• Promote carryover into school, home, work, and life

I teach parents and caregivers how to cue, prompt, and support without taking over, because the goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress that sticks.

Tools That Fit Real Life

Sometimes I think I have seen every planner, app, and checklist imaginable. But tools only work when they’re the right fit and when they’re introduced with care, coaching, and consistency.

Some of the tools I help integrate into daily routines include:

• Visual calendars and task boards

• Smartwatches and reminders

• Time estimation strategies and buffer planning

• Simple daily planning routines

• “Catch it and coach it” prompts to develop self-correction and reflection

  
  

I don't overcomplicate. Together, we build routines that support growth and that feel doable.

It’s Not Just About Tasks—It’s About Advocacy

As my clients grow, I want them to move from needing help to knowing how to ask for it. That’s why I weave self-advocacy into every part of therapy.

I help clients:

• Recognize when they’re struggling and why

• Speak up for their needs with clarity and confidence

• Practice what to say in real-life situations: at school, at work, at home.

  
  

In addition, I show caregivers how to support these conversations without stepping in or stepping on.

Why This Approach Works

Over the years, I’ve learned that the most meaningful gains happen when therapy is:

• Flexible – because every week brings new demands

• Functional – because therapy has to translate to real life

• Family-oriented – because executive functioning lives beyond the session

  
  

This isn’t about creating a perfect system. It’s about building trust, fostering awareness, and creating scaffolds that lead to independence.

Let’s Build Executive Functioning—Together

If you’re raising or caring for someone with executive functioning challenges, you’re not alone and there is help that works.

At Trailblazer Speech Therapy, I provide customized support for individuals and families, with options for in-person therapy in Evergreen, CO and virtual/hybrid services throughout Colorado and Texas.

🔹 Coaching for real life🔹 Strategies that make sense🔹 Support that grows with you

👉 Schedule a consultation today at trailblazerspeech.com