03 Jul What Executive Function Challenges Look Like in High School
Brooklyn Letters
1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn
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Nicole has been an amazing therapist!! She played a tremendous role in our daughter’s speech progress and overall development. She has come such a long way and we are so happy with the therapy she received!
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I cannot express how grateful and rewarding my experience with Brooklyn Letters has been. Her tutor Ms. Daria is so knowledgeable, amazing, kind and awesome. My daughter has made so much progress in Literacy and Math and it's all … More thanks to Ms. Daria. I know my daughter is sad that she can no longer work with Ms. Daria, as she looked forward to their sessions every week. Thank you again!
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Excellent services, caring therapists.
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Christina was absolutely wonderful. She went out of her way to win my son over and it worked. He looked forward to her visits and his speech improved so much under her care. She was super flexible and it’s clear she truly cares. We adore … More Christina and we’re going to miss her. Almost sad he improved so much! She’s simply amazing and we can’t say enough how great she is. I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone, without hesitation. Thank you so much for connecting us with her!
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We could not be happier with the services Valerie provided! She is very thoughtful and knowledgeable and provided significant guidance to support our daughter's speech development outside of our scheduled sessions. She established … More a great working relationship with her, and she will definitely be missed! Your business model is amazing and it was an absolute pleasure working with Valerie. I've referred your organization and Valerie to the Executive Director of our daughter's school and friends/colleagues who are in need of speech therapy services.
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We cannot say enough good things about Effie, the ASL teacher, who was so engaged and effective with our 2 year old daughter from the very first session! Effie gladly included our whole family in the sessions! Her expertise and fantastic … More personality gave our daughter a way to communicate that she was so desperately seeking. The coordinators at Brooklyn Letters were so helpful and communicative…I would highly recommend their services!
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Ron and Ken are great guys to work with.
Both were very knowledgeable and got our system back up and running.
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Samantha Dalmas was fantastic! We saw her for a feeding therapy evaluation and while she doesn’t think my daughter needs more feeding therapy sessions at this time, but she gave me lots of tips to try. If my daughter's doctors want … More to see more progress at her next appointment, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha again.
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Amazing assistance provided by Shannon today on my security system. I’m so grateful for your prompt, efficient, professional, and courteous service. Put me down as a customer for life!
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One of the most painless experiences I've had. They came on time and was over the moon professional with still keeping a level of personability to it. The gentleman also went out of his way to say that my husband and Mines business … More was appreciated. Which is actually rare to be appreciated by such a great company. So thank you and we look forward to continuing services with this company.
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I am so happy we decided to go with cornerstone. They were quick and efficient. Shannon and the installer we very friendly. We got a lot of equipment and it was still within our budget. 10/10 would definitely recommend! Thank you
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Kanu Patel -
We had a very positive experience with Alissa as a tutor for our pod of 5th grade boys from January - June 2020. She cared a lot about the boys and worked hard to create meaningful activities for them. The pod experience was invaluable … More for all of our families during a difficult year and we were so grateful to have found this partnership! We also want to appreciate Craig for helping to match us with a tutor on very short notice after we had cycled through a few folks who were not able to see the commitment through. Thanks for sticking with us!
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Dusty was the exact person we needed to help our child finish out the school year. So grateful to him for the way he steadily encouraged her and helped her stay on track and organized. He is flexible, responsive to our needs/schedule as … More a family, and a delight to be with. We are also thankful that Craig at Themba Tutors really "gets it" and partnered us with such a wonderful tutor who was a great fit for our girl.
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My child worked with Gillian D virtually for math enrichment. She is an excellent teacher. She took time to understand my child's specific learning style and provided tools that would be engaging. She was kind and empathetic- really … More made it her goal to connect with my child and build trust and rapport. My child started the school year with confidence and without the typically "brain-drain" that occurs over the summer, thanks to Gillian.
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I am going into my second year as a Themba tutor. I have met so many great individuals while working for this company. Craig and the rest of the Themba team do such an excellent job picking and choosing Themba tutors that suit each client's … More individual needs! I look forward to meeting new tutors and clients in the 2021-2022 school year!
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Our son started in a new high school, 100% remote, and was really struggling with Latin and Physics. I found Themba Tudors online and had an initial call with Craig, who was very knowledgeable, responsive, and found 2 amazing tutors for … More us. Both the Latin and the physics tutors were fantastic, connected with my son really well and helped him go from 'failing' grade to 'honors'! I will for sure continue using (and recommending!) Themba Tutors. Thank you, C, K, and W!
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Brian is a fantastic executive functioning coach. Super helpful, flexible with hours, and tailored the experience to our needs.
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Giulia Mercuri is a great Italian tutor! She was very responsive and accessible. Giulia put a ton of effort into preparing for each session and really helped our son with test preparation and projects. We are grateful that she was able … More to help, especially since our son did not receive any live teaching during COVID. We are happy that she was referred to us!
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As an adult student diagnosed with a learning disability during grad school, I knew I needed help dealing with my Master's program's demanding workload. I was seriously considering dropping out when I was referred to Themba Tutors. … More I was paired up with a wonderful tutor, Julie, who was a total lifesaver. I learned many techniques that I can utilize in the future as I embark on the next phase of my career.
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We were introduced to a wonderful tutor: Mcedwyn. He and our son, a freshman in college, worked well together. As a result, our son’s grades significantly improved. The tutor taught our son subject content and various methods to effectively … More study for quizzes and exams. Our son was also taught time management and organization. My son’s experience with the tutor made the first year of college a less intimidating experience.
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We have been with our tutor, Cailin Schiller, for two years, from 5th - 7th grade. She started as an executive functioning tutor with my daughter. From the start, she demonstrated a depth of expertise and a selective use of techniques skillfully … More adapted to my daughter’s ADHD and Math disability. Cailin made Math accessible and understandable to her in a way that even her teachers had not been able to do. She differentiated reading, writing and math tasks and assignments to tailor them to my daughter’s unique learning differences. Not only did it have an effect on her grades and her work efficiency, but she finally could do her work with less anxiety. Even my daughter’s teachers used Cailin’s guidance to modify their work with her. But most importantly, she became my daughter’s favorite resource. I can’t say how invaluable Cailin has been to my daughter’s progress and well-being. I’d recommend her a million times over. She is a gem.
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Victoria is a superb tutor. She helped my high school age daughter with her writing. Victoria's skills as a tutor, as well as her sense of humor and her engaging personality went a long way with my daughter.
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Themba Tutors provided a leaning specialist that was a perfect fit for my daughter. I told them what we were looking for and they delivered. Our tutor is responsive and flexible and makes it easy for my daughter to reach out to her own … More her own, which gives her an added sense of responsibility over her learning. As a therapist myself, I now regularly recommend Themba to my patients. A much needed and well provided service to the community!!
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The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
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I'm so glad we were referred to Themba Tutors. After a great initial conversation to learn our needs, we were connected with an excellent tutor, Felicia, who is helping our high school daughter learn better organizational and executive … More skills. Highly recommended.
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We had a wonderful experience with our tutor Micaela. She helped our son not only academically but at every level. We will be forever grateful to have her in our lives.
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The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
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Paul Smith at Themba has been an exceptional tutor for my son, both in terms of teaching the subject matter and teaching how best to approach the process of learning math and executing assignments. We feel very fortunate to be working with … More Paul.
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We were very lucky to have found Edwouine Swift, my son's therapist through Themba Tutors. Thomas is 12 years old, and it is extremely difficult to get him to write. Edwouine just works her magic with him, he adores her and is so … More eager to follow her guidance. I have no doubt she will be a positive driving force in his academic future.
WHAT EXECUTIVE FUNCTION CHALLENGES LOOK LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL
A missing assignment can seem like a small problem. So can a forgotten deadline, a cluttered backpack, or a project that remains untouched until the night before it is due. When these moments happen occasionally, they are often viewed as a normal part of adolescence. When they happen again and again, however, a different story may be unfolding beneath the surface.
High school is a period when greater independence is expected. Students are asked to manage multiple classes, balance activities, remember commitments, and make decisions with less supervision. For some teenagers, these responsibilities are handled without significant difficulty. For others, a where-did-the-afternoon-go pattern of struggles may emerge, even when intelligence and motivation are present. In many cases, executive function challenges are at the center of those difficulties.
Executive functions are the mental processes that help people plan, organize, prioritize, regulate emotions, and complete tasks. When these skills are underdeveloped or disrupted, daily school life can become far more difficult than it appears from the outside.
It Is Not Always About Motivation
One of the biggest misconceptions about executive function challenges is that students simply are not trying hard enough. In reality, effort may be present even when results suggest otherwise. A student may fully intend to finish an assignment, only to become overwhelmed when trying to decide where to begin.
Professionals who study student behavior often recognize that struggles with planning, organization, and self-regulation can affect academic performance in significant ways. Anyone reviewing a job description for mental health counselor may notice that helping individuals understand behavioral patterns and develop coping strategies is often a key responsibility. Similar principles can be applied when executive function challenges are being addressed in school settings.
The issue is not always a lack of knowledge. A student may understand a lesson perfectly during class but still fail to complete related work. Instructions may be remembered briefly, then forgotten when attention shifts elsewhere. This disconnect can create frustration for students, teachers, and parents alike.
Would a student intentionally choose to fall behind if the necessary skills were available? In many situations, the answer may be more complicated than it first appears. Executive function difficulties can make simple tasks feel much larger than they actually are.
The Warning Signs Often Hide In Plain Sight
Executive function challenges do not always look the same from one student to another. Some signs are obvious, while others may be mistaken for carelessness or disinterest.
A student experiencing executive function difficulties may struggle with:
- Keeping track of assignments and deadlines
- Managing time effectively during long-term projects
- Organizing school materials
- Starting tasks without repeated reminders
- Shifting attention between responsibilities
- Regulating emotional responses during stressful situations
These challenges can affect nearly every aspect of school life. Assignments may be submitted late, despite strong academic ability. Notes may be misplaced shortly before an important test. Classroom participation may fluctuate because attention is being directed toward managing internal distractions.
For example, a student might spend hours thinking about a research paper without actually beginning it. Another student could complete most of an assignment but forget to submit it entirely. Neither situation necessarily reflects a lack of intelligence. Instead, executive function skills may be struggling to support academic demands.
Small Supports Can Make A Big Difference
Although executive function challenges can create obstacles, meaningful improvements can be achieved when appropriate strategies are introduced. Support does not always require dramatic changes. Often, consistent routines and targeted interventions can produce positive results.
Many students benefit from external systems that help compensate for organizational difficulties. Calendars, checklists, visual schedules, and reminder systems are frequently used to support planning and task completion. Complex assignments may be easier to manage when they are divided into smaller steps.
Support from educators and families is also important. Expectations should be communicated clearly, while progress should be monitored without excessive pressure. Students often respond well when guidance is paired with opportunities to build independence gradually.
In some situations, techniques associated with mindfulness may be introduced to help students strengthen attention and emotional regulation. By becoming more aware of their thought patterns and reactions, students may find it easier to pause before becoming overwhelmed by competing demands.
Growth Happens When Challenges Are Understood
Executive function challenges in high school are often misunderstood because they can resemble laziness, carelessness, or a lack of motivation. Beneath those assumptions, however, important cognitive processes may be struggling to keep pace with increasing demands. Assignments may be forgotten, deadlines may be missed, and frustration may grow, even when genuine effort is being made.
Executive function challenges in high school are often misunderstood because they can resemble laziness, carelessness, or a lack of motivation. Beneath those assumptions, however, important cognitive processes may be struggling to keep pace with increasing demands. Assignments may be forgotten, deadlines may be missed, and frustration may grow, even when genuine effort is being made.
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Craig Selinger
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