In this episode, I’m excited to announce the release of my new compression course, “The School Leader’s Guide to Executive Functioning Support.”

You can learn more about the course here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/school-leaders-guide-to-executive-functioning-support/

In this session, I’ll be sharing why I created this program, what parents and professionals have shared with me when I talk about executive functioning, and how I approach educating professionals about this important and relevant topic.

*Plus I share things school communities and staff WISH their administration knew 🙂

Imagine a school where:

✅ Students are better equipped to handle challenges and setbacks

✅ Teachers spend less time managing behavior and more time on meaningful instruction

✅ Academic performance improves across the board

✅ Your team feels empowered and supported, rather than overwhelmed by another initiative

Introducing: The School Leader's Guide to Executive Functioning Support

After years of developing frameworks to support these essential cognitive skills and helping professionals implement them in their own schools, I've created a comprehensive guide specifically for school leaders like you.

This 7-day course will walk you through:

1. Understanding the critical role of executive functioning in student success

2. Identifying areas where executive functioning support can have the biggest impact in your school

3. Pinpointing challenges with common strategies such as social skills groups, behavior charts, and organizing tools.

4. Practical tools and techniques that can be immediately implemented in classrooms

5. Methods for measuring and demonstrating the impact of executive functioning support

6. Long-term planning for sustainable implementation and continued growth

By the end of the 7 days, you'll be ready to design a plan for launching executive functioning support in your school, setting the stage for transformative change.

Are you ready to transform your school and set your students up for long-term success?

Don't let another day go by without giving your team and students the support they need to thrive.

The future of your school starts with the decisions you make today.

The School Leader’s Guide to Executive Functioning Support is a 7-day course to help school leaders launch their executive functioning implementation plan.

You can learn more about the course here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/school-leaders-guide-to-executive-functioning-support/

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Smith from GrowNOW ADHD, to explore innovative approaches to social skills and executive functioning through the lens of a community-based program:

Executive Functioning Summer Camp. Eric shares his insights on challenging existing service delivery models and discusses the importance of practical, real-world applications for clients.
Eric is a Speech-Language Pathologist, ADHD/Executive Functioning Specialist, and Director GrowNOW ADHD's EF Camp with over 7 years of experience in the field. He has worked in a variety of settings including Private Practice, Early Intervention, and Schools.

Key Discussion Points:
What are the benefits and limitations of a traditional therapy model and how can we expand the way we do intervention to improve generalization?

• How the summer camp model facilitates real-world connections.

• How much structure and support should adults be providing, and when does it make sense to use a “lesson plan”?

• The concepts of “healthy risk” and “healthy discomfort”.

• Why it's crucial to incorporate diverse experiences to better prepare our clients for adult life AND to help clinicians stay engaged in their work.

• Using the explicit instruction framework (“I do, We do, You do”) to mentor clinicians and coach parents.

You can learn more about GrowNOW Executive Functioning Summer Camp here: https://www.grownowadhd.com/adhd-kids-summer-camp/
Connect with Eric at: eric@grownowadhd.com

Past episode mentioned in this episode:
Failure to launch, screen addiction, and preparing kids for life after high school (with Michael McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-207-failure-to-launch-screen-addiction-and-preparing-kids-for-life-after-high-school-with-michael-mcleod/

Building accountability, and motivation in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-008-building-accountability-and-motivation-in-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/

Time management and device use boundaries for kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-009-time-management-and-device-use-boundaries-for-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/

In this episode, I mentioned “The School Leader’s Guide to Executive Functioning Support”, a 7-day course to help school leaders launch their executive functioning implementation plan. You can learn more about the course here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/school-leaders-guide-to-executive-functioning-support/

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Ana Hernandez, a speech pathologist who found herself on the other side of the therapy room after undergoing brain surgery. Ana shares her deeply personal journey through the road of recovery.

As someone who has spent her career helping others communicate, Ana opens up about what it was like to struggle with communication herself. She discusses the emotional and physical challenges she faced, the strategies that aided her recovery, and how her experience has changed her approach to her work.

Ana Hernandez is a speech-language pathologist, founder of Adult Stuttering Services, P.C., and the creator of Green Social and the Safe Spaces of Stuttering approach. She collaborates with leading stuttering organizations, speaks at international conferences, and provides professional training for schools and businesses. Ana’s focus in stuttering support is to foster comfort with speaking and empower people who stutter with care that prioritizes quality and dignity.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• The unexpected diagnosis that led to brain surgery
• The impact of surgery on her speech, cognition, and emotions
• Key milestones and setbacks throughout her recovery journey
• Practical tips for self-advocacy
• How this experience has reshaped her perspective as a therapist

Why Listen?

This episode is a testament to resilience, empathy, and the power of communication. Whether you or a loved one are navigating recovery from brain injury, or you simply want to hear an inspiring story of perseverance, this conversation will leave you feeling encouraged and empowered.

You can connect with Ana on her Adult Stuttering website here: https://www.adultstuttering.com/therapist

On Instagram here @adultstuttering (https://www.instagram.com/adultstuttering/)

On LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-hernandez-015b69293/

Finally, I also mentioned my free Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams. You can sign up for the guide here: http://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.