EP 141 | Sean McCormick on Executive Function Skills for IEP Success

Executive functioning is often talked about in schools, IEP meetings, and therapy offices, but many parents are still left wondering: what does it actually mean for my child’s daily life?

In this conversation, Frances Shefter and Sean McCormack explored executive functioning not as a checklist of school skills, but as the foundation for helping children understand themselves, work toward goals, manage emotions, and build independence over time.

Executive Functioning Is More Than Organization

Sean shared one of his favorite definitions from Dr. Russell Barkley: executive functioning is “self-direction toward a future goal.”

That means it is not just about planners, calendars, or remembering homework. Executive functioning includes:

• Managing emotions
• Starting tasks
• Staying focused
• Seeing progress
• Making decisions
• Connecting today’s actions to tomorrow’s goals

For many neurodivergent students, the problem is not that they do not care. It is that the path from “what I want” to “what I need to do today” is not clear enough yet.

Why Buy-In Matters

One of the strongest themes in the conversation was motivation. As Frances pointed out, adults cannot simply force a child to care about a goal.

Sean explained that real motivation comes from helping students connect daily behaviors to outcomes they value.

For example, instead of saying, “You need good grades,” a parent or teacher might ask:

• What do you want to do after high school?
• Why does that matter to you?
• What steps would help you get there?
• Does this class connect to that goal?

That shift helps students see the “why.” Without that light at the end of the tunnel, school can feel pointless, overwhelming, or disconnected from real life.

Supporting Younger Children Starts With Regulation

For younger children, long-term goals may be too abstract. An eight-year-old may not be ready to think about college, careers, or adulthood.

So the starting point is regulation.

Sean shared the example of creating a calm-down box with his daughter before she was upset. That matters because children usually cannot build a strategy in the middle of dysregulation.

As he put it, it is like “building the roof before it’s raining.”

Parents can help by:

1. Talking about big feelings when the child is calm
2. Creating simple tools ahead of time
3. Practicing coping strategies before they are needed
4. Revisiting what worked and what did not

This is executive functioning in its earliest form: learning how to pause, regulate, and return to a task or relationship.

The Power of Specific Praise

Frances and Sean also discussed behavior-specific praise. Instead of saying, “Good job,” adults can name exactly what the child did well.

For example:

• “I love how you got started right away.”
• “You checked your assignment list before asking for help.”
• “You took a break and came back calmly.”

This helps children connect the praise to the behavior. For students with ADHD or other executive functioning challenges, that clarity is especially important.

IEPs Should Build Ownership, Not Dependence

Frances connected the conversation back to IEPs, especially goals related to task analysis, transition planning, and executive functioning supports.

A strong IEP should not just list supports. It should help the student build skills.

That may mean involving the student in:

• Breaking down tasks
• Checking off progress
• Understanding their goals
• Identifying what kind of support works best
• Seeing how small steps lead to bigger outcomes

Sean emphasized that needs should be driven by assessment, needs drive goals, and goals drive services. In other words, executive functioning supports should be individualized, not copied and pasted.

Progress Needs to Be Visible

One especially practical takeaway was Sean’s point that “progress is visualized.”

Students often struggle because the reward for executive functioning is delayed. Graduation, passing a class, or getting into a program may be months or years away.

So adults need to help students see progress now.

That might look like:

• Checking off steps
• Crossing out completed tasks
• Tracking assignments submitted
• Noticing effort before the final grade
• Celebrating starting, not just finishing

When students can see movement, the work becomes more meaningful.

Failure Is Part of Learning

Frances and Sean also discussed the importance of reframing failure. Many students avoid work because they are afraid of getting it wrong. Others become stuck in perfectionism.

Sean described failure as feedback. When something breaks down, it shows us where learning can happen.

That mindset can help children understand that grades, mistakes, and setbacks are not proof that they are incapable. They are information.

As Frances shared, the goal is not for children with IEPs to grow up thinking they are dumb. The goal is to help them see their strengths, understand their needs, and build the skills to move forward.

Executive functioning is not about perfection. It is about helping children know themselves, regulate themselves, and take meaningful steps toward a future that feels possible.