What We Mean by “Executive Functioning” (And Why It Matters)
We toss around the term a lot, but Dr. Carey Heller starts by grounding it: executive functioning is the mental toolkit that lets us plan, organize, start, shift, hold instructions in mind, and finish tasks. Picture a student facing a homework assignment—they need to identify what’s due, break it into steps, keep the directions in working memory, and persist through to the end. That whole sequence is executive functioning at work.
While ADHD almost always involves executive-function challenges, Carey reminds us it’s not just an ADHD story. Anxiety, depression, OCD, lack of sleep, and stress can all drain the same system. Even well-rested, well-nourished kids with ADHD can struggle because the underlying wiring makes those steps harder, not just the conditions around them.
The School Problem You Can’t See: Planning Happens at Home
Inside schools, the stickiest executive-functioning bottlenecks aren’t always visible in the classroom. A lot of the breakdown—planning, organizing, tracking assignments—happens after the bell rings. Accommodations at school help, but families still carry much of the load in the evenings. That’s where things like competing activities, unclear deadlines, and mounting backlog can turn into a stress spiral.
Frances shared a familiar scene: a district sets a hard “work due by Friday” rule, and suddenly Thursday turns into a marathon of make-ups. Even kids with accommodations like extended time can end up with a snowball of past-due work that overwhelms the week.
Rethinking “Extended Time”: Helpful… Until It Isn’t
Extended time is the most common accommodation for ADHD—and often appropriate. It can compensate for slower processing, attention lapses, re-reading, and task-switching costs. But Carey cautions: how it’s implemented makes or breaks it.
- If there’s no firm deadline, time stretches and tracking collapses.
- If the class moves on, extended time can become double work.
- Some students with ADHD actually rush—knowing there’s more time doesn’t mean they’ll use it.
- Others delay starting because “I’ve got time,” which creates new problems.
Carey’s take: use extended time strategically and clearly—define when it ends, how it’s used, and who supports planning so it doesn’t morph into an avalanche later.
Why Private Testing Often Sees What School Screenings Miss
Schools appropriately evaluate educational impact. But a comprehensive private evaluation can look under every hood at once: cognitive profile, processing speed, working memory, verbal skills, reading/writing/math, attention and executive skills, and mental health (anxiety, depression, OCD). That holistic view helps answer questions like:
- Is it ADHD, and is there also a learning disability?
- Are we seeing visual or auditory processing issues mimicking ADHD?
- What study strategies match this child’s unique strengths and weaknesses?
Frances framed it well: a thorough report becomes a user manual for your child—not just a label, but a plan. It keeps families from throwing darts at interventions and instead targets what will likely work.
Coaching vs. Testing: How Carey Puts It Together
You don’t need formal testing to start with Carey, but when it’s available, he uses it to tailor interventions precisely. First sessions focus on what’s happening right now—how the student is organizing, starting, and finishing. If he spots signs that testing would change the plan, he’ll recommend it.
Carey’s lens as both psychologist and coach lets him address anxiety, avoidance, OCD-type loops, and motivation right in the work—so it’s not just “use this planner,” but “let’s face the start-up anxiety together while we outline this paper.”
The Executive Functioning Boot Camp: Two Hours That Actually Move the Needle
Carey’s popular Executive Function Boot Camp grew out of post-testing feedback sessions. In a focused two-hour, mostly one-to-one intensive (small groups happen in summer), students step back to rebuild systems that fit them:
- How to capture and track assignments
- Planning daily, weekly, and long-term work
- Morning/evening routines that reduce friction
- Simple tech setups that save real time
Students leave with a written plan and—surprisingly often—a more hopeful mindset. The shift isn’t just tools; it’s self-awareness and agency: “This is doable. I can do this.”
Harness the Fidget: Movement as a Focus Tool
Not every ADHD profile includes hyperactivity, but when it’s there, Carey wants to use it. The goal isn’t “stop moving,” it’s move on purpose while working:
- Under-desk pedals or mini-ellipticals while reading or thinking
- Balance boards or rocker/wobble stools at a sit-stand desk
- Yoga ball chairs
- “Stand-and-talk” time while discussing instructions with a parent
These mindless movements bleed off restlessness so the brain can target the cognitive task. What matters is that it’s quiet, repeatable, and doesn’t occupy the hands needed for the assignment.
Tech That Helps (If You Make It Work for You)
Technology can simplify… or it can drown students in notifications. Carey’s practical tips:
- Sync assignment platforms (e.g., Canvas) to a calendar your student actually checks (Google Calendar or Apple Calendar). Use the iCal feed so new assignments update automatically.
- On mobile, the Canvas “To-Do” list can be the fastest way to spot missing work—anything listed before today likely needs attention.
- Tune notifications: route the important ones to the app; stop flooding email. Hundreds of unread messages = students stop looking.
- Keep a hybrid backup: a simple paper or digital capture during class for items not posted online, then transfer into the main system at home.
- Build the habit of checking school email—a few minutes daily beats an hour of cleanup weekly.
The theme: pick one primary system, keep it as simple as possible, and tweak over time. Resist “burn it all down” overhauls unless the current setup truly fails.
Rewards, Motivation, and Mindset (Without the Sugar Crash)
Rewards work best when they scale with independence. Carey’s rule of thumb: choose rewards kids could give themselves as adults. Example: “That show I love? I only watch it on the elliptical,” or “I get an episode after I finish homework.” Avoid food rewards—they train eating when not hungry and set up unhelpful patterns.
And remember: the hardest part is starting. Build friction-reducers at the front end—clear first steps, a 5-minute “just begin” rule, or pairing work with a neutral, quiet movement—to get over the initiation hump.
Labels vs. People: Use the Words, Individualize the Plan
ADHD often overlaps with autism and anxiety, and many kids don’t fit neatly in a single box. Labels can help teams communicate quickly, but what matters is the individual profile—the exact places planning breaks down, the real-world demands of elementary vs. middle vs. high school, and the student’s preferences and tolerance for structure.
That’s also what the “I” in IEP is for. As Frances put it: parents often ask, “What accommodations should we request?” The honest answer: it depends on your child’s profile. Without that picture, a generic list can create busywork that frustrates the student and wastes energy.
Practical Takeaways You Can Use This Week
- Clarify extended-time rules: What’s the actual deadline? Who tracks it? How do we avoid double work?
- Simplify the system: One main calendar or task list. Back it up with a quick capture during class. Review daily.
- Automate what you can: Sync the school platform feed to a calendar and set reminders two days before due dates.
- Move on purpose: Try a quiet pedal, wobble seat, or stand board during reading or planning.
- Right-size the workload when catching up: focus on essential mastery, not every last point, if your IEP allows it.
- Guard the inbox: Prune notifications, and set a daily email check habit (2–5 minutes).
- Make rewards adulthood-proof: pair enjoyable things with the behaviors you want, not with food.
Want Help Getting This Set Up?
Dr. Carey Heller makes the next steps friction-free: fill out the brief form on his website, get a portal link, and book either a new-client call or an initial appointment without phone tag. Whether you want a comprehensive evaluation, focused executive-function coaching, or a two-hour Boot Camp to rebuild systems that stick, his process is built the same way he coaches—clear, structured, and doable.
Closing Thought
Executive functioning is teachable. With targeted supports, smart accommodations, a bit of movement, and a system that actually fits your student, school can feel lighter and more predictable—for them and for you. As Frances reminds us each week: you don’t have to do this alone.
Reach out to Carey here: https://hellerpsychologygroup.com/
