Executive Functioning Support for Children & Teens
Homework battles, lost assignments, difficulty getting started, and disorganization can sometimes point to challenges with executive functioning skills.
At Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center, we provide individualized, one-on-one support to help children and teens strengthen skills such as planning, organization, attention, time management, task initiation, and self-monitoring.
Available in Johnston and North Liberty, Iowa, and virtually.
What Is Executive Functioning?
Executive functioning refers to the brain’s management system. These mental skills help children and teens plan ahead, get started, stay organized, manage their time, remember important information, regulate their attention and behavior, and follow through on tasks.
Executive functioning skills develop gradually throughout childhood and adolescence. While every child forgets an assignment, loses track of time, or needs reminders sometimes, ongoing difficulty with these skills can make schoolwork and everyday responsibilities much more challenging.
Understanding which executive functioning skills are creating difficulty can help families find practical strategies and individualized support that promote greater confidence and independence.
What Can Executive Functioning Challenges Look Like?
Executive functioning challenges can look different from child to child. You may notice difficulty with:
Task initiation: Getting started on homework, chores, or other responsibilities
Planning and prioritizing: Knowing what to do first or breaking larger tasks into manageable steps
Attention: Staying focused, shifting attention when needed, or returning to a task after becoming distracted
Organization: Keeping track of assignments, materials, belongings, or thoughts
Time management: Estimating how long tasks will take, planning ahead, or meeting deadlines
Working memory: Remembering directions, steps, or important information while completing a task
Self-monitoring: Slowing down, checking work, recognizing mistakes, or noticing when a strategy is not working
Flexible thinking: Adjusting to changes, handling unexpected situations, or trying a different approach
When these skills are difficult, children and teens may need frequent reminders or support to manage schoolwork and everyday responsibilities. Strengthening executive functioning skills can help students develop practical strategies and become more confident and independent.
How To Get Started
1. Schedule A Consultation
Start with a conversation about the challenges you’re noticing at home or school. We’ll learn more about your child’s needs and help determine the best next step.
2. Complete An Executive Functioning Evaluation
An evaluation helps us better understand your child’s executive functioning strengths and areas of need. Results are used to identify specific skills that may be impacting schoolwork, daily routines, and independence.
3. Create An Individualized Plan
Based on your child’s needs, we’ll develop individualized goals and strategies targeting the executive functioning skills that will have the greatest impact on everyday success.
4. Build Skills & Independence
Your child will practice practical strategies they can use at school, at home, and in everyday life. Progress is regularly monitored, and intervention is adjusted as skills develop and goals are met.
Why Choose Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center?
Executive functioning support at ETLC goes beyond teaching organizational tips. We help children and teens understand their individual strengths and challenges, develop practical strategies, and learn how to apply those strategies in everyday situations.
Families choose ETLC for:
- Individualized Support: Goals and strategies are based on each student’s evaluation results and specific needs.
- Practical Strategies: Students learn tools they can apply to real schoolwork, routines, responsibilities, and everyday challenges.
- Experienced Specialists: Our team understands how executive functioning skills can impact learning, behavior, and independence.
- Progress Monitoring: We regularly monitor progress and adjust intervention as skills develop.
- Collaboration: With parent permission, we can collaborate with families, teachers, and other professionals to support consistency across settings.
Our goal is to help students develop strategies that work for them so they can approach responsibilities with greater confidence and independence.
Ready to Help Your Child Build Greater Independence?
Executive functioning skills can be strengthened with the right support and strategies. Let’s help your child build practical skills for greater confidence and independence at school, at home, and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age can children begin executive functioning support?
Executive functioning skills begin developing early and continue to grow throughout childhood and adolescence. At ETLC, support is individualized to each child’s age, needs, and everyday responsibilities. Strategies for a younger child may focus on routines, flexibility, and getting started, while older students may work on planning, organization, time management, and independence.
Does my child need an ADHD diagnosis to receive executive functioning support?
No. A child does not need an ADHD diagnosis to benefit from executive functioning support. Children and teens may experience difficulty with planning, organization, attention, task initiation, time management, working memory, or self-monitoring for many different reasons. Our focus is on identifying your child’s individual strengths and areas of need and developing strategies that work for them.
What happens during an executive functioning evaluation?
An executive functioning evaluation helps us better understand your child’s strengths and areas of need. We gather information about skills such as planning, organization, attention, working memory, flexibility, self-monitoring, and task completion. The results help guide individualized recommendations, goals, and next steps for support.
How long will my child need executive functioning support?
Every child’s timeline is different. The length of intervention depends on your child’s individual needs, goals, frequency of sessions, and progress. We regularly monitor progress and adjust intervention as skills develop, with the goal of helping students use strategies more independently over time.
Can ETLC collaborate with my child's school?
Yes. With parent permission, our team can collaborate with teachers and other school professionals to discuss your child’s needs, share relevant strategies, and support consistency between intervention and the classroom.