How We’ll Work Together
Establish desired outcomes. For a struggling student or adult - and especially folks with ADHD - creating a personal sense of motivation is crucial to overcoming the difficulty of initiating tasks for school and for life.
Finding that internal drive, though, can be incredibly difficult.
With patience and humor I work with students and adults to identify their most heartfelt or pressing desired outcomes. We make sure that those outcomes feel good and that they are attainable; challenging but not overwhelming.
Name your strengths. Next, utilizing my 20+ years as a classroom teacher and my extensive training working under experts in supporting the neurodiverse, we’ll name and develop the strengths that the student or adult already possesses and that they can build on for immediate results.
Reap the rewards. Finally, we deep dive to find out what makes each person feel rewarded as an individual. In the near term, it may be time to play video games or spending time with friends, or relieving the stress of a project hanging over your head.
The long term results of our implemented strategies, however, are establishing the patterns that lead to continued success.
For my student clients especially, I can help their families develop at-home support systems and further communicate with schools about individual learning plans.
Adults living with ADHD or other learning differences may need further individualized support suggestions, ranging from mindfulness tools to community resources.
Asking for help is often muddled by frustration or embarrassment for students and adults alike.
I’m in your corner. I know you can do it. And I’m here to help you find the tools that work for you!
“Holly is one of the most thoughtful educators that I have ever worked with. Her ability to collaborate with students, parents, and educators is unparalleled. Holly is able to foster understanding for students struggling with denial around their learning disabilities. She is able to bring her many years of experience as a classroom teacher into everything she does and her work is better for it.”
— Courtney De Hoff, MEd, Education Management Professional
FAQs
What does an Executive Function (EF) Coach do?
An EF coach helps student and adult clients with organization, initiation, planning, focus, and motivation. The EF coach may also help clients with flexible thinking and self-awareness. They teach strategies to support clients in managing these weak areas and improve their ability to create positive outcomes in school, work, and life.
How is an EF coach different from a therapist?
ADHD and other learning disabilities affect emotional health. EF coaches understand this and help clients assess what support they may need, ranging from building a meditation practice to working with a licensed therapist. Generally, EF coaches are not licensed therapists, social workers, or psychologists.
How quickly can my child/I expect to see results?
This is very individual and depends on the needs and goals of each person. Often, clients see results immediately, in the form of reduced anxiety and relief when we demystify challenges related to ADHD.
Some goals are project or skill-based and take longer to see results. With ADHD, clients experience ‘consistent inconsistency’. So a skill-goal that is met one week may be challenging or impossible the next.
That said, simply knowing this can be a relief.
How is an Executive Function Coach different from a tutor?
Tutors focus on strengthening a student’s knowledge or understanding of specific academic subjects. EF coaches address the underlying challenges that may affect the student’s academic performance. EF coaches can overlap with the work of tutors, especially when it comes to helping clients plan long-term and writing projects.
How do you assess progress?
Clients and Coach (that’s us!) determine individual goals and milestones in collaboration. In my practice, we create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely) goals for both the short and long term.
Weekly check-ins will allow us to adjust goals as we go.
Do you communicate with my child’s school?
I can! I prefer to partner with schools whenever possible. If it’s not possible, though, due to the school staff’s availability or preference, I will work with a student on self-advocacy, so they are empowered to communicate with teachers.