While it may seem like second nature to get up on time, calmly go through your daily routine, and complete school or work tasks efficiently, some individuals experience challenges with those organizational and behavioral abilities often referred to as “executive functioning” skills. The Sound Youth Neurodiversity Collective’s providers in Tumwater say challenges in executive functioning can first present in early childhood, often frustrating parents who cannot figure out what to do when a child repeatedly has a hard time getting started with tasks, regulating strong feelings, or continuing when things get difficult.
What is Executive Functioning and Why it Matters
“Executive functioning is an umbrella term for a lot of cognitive skills like planning, organization, being flexible and self-regulation,” says Dr. Ann Clawson, a neuropsychologist at the Sound Youth Neurodiversity Collective. She explained that executive functioning skills are closely tied to long-term outcomes, like academic and job success.
“Executive function and self-regulation skills act like an air traffic control system in the brain, helping us manage information, make decisions, and plan ahead,” explains the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. Clawson says that executive functioning is controlled by the brain’s frontal lobe, which doesn’t stop developing until we are in our mid-20s. She says a person with a neurodivergent brain may experience disruptions that change the trajectory of their skill development, requiring an assessment to identify the issues, and developing tools to help the child experience success in school, work and life.
Delays or differences in executive functioning development can show up as behavioral challenges, or can be mistaken as laziness, low motivation, anxiety/withdrawal, or defiance. “A lot of kids get penalized or get in trouble when they have difficulty with skills, rather than seeing them for who they are,” adds the collective’s co-owner and occupational therapist, Samantha Trout.
Finding a Qualified Child Therapy Provider to Conduct Assessments is Key to Evaluating Executive Functioning Skills
It can be hard to know if a youth is experiencing executive functioning challenges, and how to best help. Parents don’t have to figure this out alone. “The first step is shifting away from assumptions,” says Mary Coburn, speech-language pathologist and co-owner of the collective. “Instead of asking, ‘Why won’t my child do this?’ we ask, ‘What skills are missing, and how can we support them?’” That shift often reduces family stress and opens the door to solutions.
Coburn launched the collective to create a collaborative, family-centered space where therapy providers and coaches could work together to better support clients of all ages. The team offers speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, mental health services, parent and caregiver support and navigation, provider support and collaboration, adult coaching and neurodivergent support, and psychological and neurodevelopmental evaluations. Collective providers work with families to build strategies tailored to each person, ensuring that both strengths and challenges are recognized.
Coburn says that assessments of executive functioning skills help figure out what is making tasks so difficult, especially as the assessment guides intervention and support for the person. For instance, a speech-language pathologist may notice how executive functioning impacts language, reading, writing, and making sense of complex information. An occupational therapist may find executive functioning skills impacting self-regulation, daily habits and routines, or participation in daily life. Other providers such as therapists, psychologists, teachers, and education coaches may see executive functioning impacting flexibility, planning, and organization.
When families have a clear diagnosis, combined with an understanding of a person’s strengths and challenges, they can implement supports and strategies that lead to more effective progress. Clawson says a neuropsychologist trained in doing assessments and making diagnoses can “dig down” into how a child thinks and recommend a plan. “We can problem solve to learn where they are at,” Clawson says.
Parent Education Can Help Identify Signs of Difficulty With Executive Functioning at School or Home
Coburn says parents will want to collaborate with their child and not make assumptions about what is causing an issue or problem behavior. A child may not be able to fully express what is triggering their outburst or lack of follow-through.
Red flags can include:
- Frequent emotional outbursts or difficulty calming down
- Difficulty stopping an inappropriate activity or comment
- Difficulty following directions, getting organized, or getting started
- Social challenges, especially in groups
- Forgetfulness, losing track of time and materials
“Look at patterns over time,” suggests Clawson. She says if parents are seeing more than just one bad day, it may help write down repeated incidents to observe patterns, such as whether the child is tired, the time of day, and the conversation just before a difficult behavior. “It may look like something a kid won’t do, but in reality, maybe they can’t do it,” she explains. Additional tips are available in these online guides.
One of the collective’s newer members is a certified teacher and Executive Function Coach Alisha Hagelberg, who helps students and families turn strengths into strategies. She is offering a free virtual workshop for parents on October 24, 2025.
To learn more, contact the child therapists at Sound Youth Neurodiversity Collective.
Sound Youth Neurodiversity Collective
344 Cleveland Ave SE, Suite F, Tumwater
360.576.6855
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