ADHD Executive Functioning Coaching

The Savvy Tutor is an expert in executive functioning coaching and can help individuals of all ages improve their executive functioning skills. Executive functioning coaching entails working with students and professionals to help them improve organization, time-and task-management, and self-regulation.

What is Executive Functioning?

Executive functioning refers to all of the various and interrelated skills that help us manage and execute the tasks required in our day-to-day lives. Executive functioning involves our ability to control our behaviors and responses, and make well-reasoned decisions. It also allows us to make reasonable plans, stay focused on a task at hand, and organize our physical spaces. Our executive functions essentially govern our ability to control our cognition and behavior.

Executive Function Skills. Harvard Center on the Developing Child. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/ — Executive Function Skills. Harvard Center on the Developing Child.

Executive Functioning Skills include:

Setting reasonable goals

Making plans

Initiating actions

Regulating emotions and reactions

Maintaining focus

Organizing materials

Prioritizing tasks

Managing time

Executive functioning can also govern our ability to:

Solve problems

Think laterally

Recall important information

Notice details

Problems Associated with Executive Functioning Challenges

Research shows that executive functioning deficits are associated with poorer mental health, physical health, quality of life, school readiness and professional success. Executive functioning challenges can cause people of all ages to struggle with tasks of daily life, relationships, jobs and school.

Since many complex tasks require sustained mental effort, individuals with executive functioning challenges often struggle to complete important assignments and projects. Study skills challenges are frequently associated with executive functioning, and many students struggle to initiate studying or implement the most effective strategies.

People who struggle with executive functioning often experience difficulty following directions and managing time. As such, all areas of their lives can become impacted. People with executive function challenges frequently have trouble focusing and practicing self control, which may inhibit social functioning. Many of the behaviors experienced by those with executive functioning challenges are the same as ADHD symptoms.

Link between ADHD and Executive Functioning

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered a behavioral disorder with similar symptoms to executive functioning deficits. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, adults and children with ADHD experience inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Individuals with ADHD are considered neurodivergent, meaning they process things differently. People with ADHD often experience a variety of behaviors and symptoms to varying degrees.

Only a qualified mental health professional and/or a medical doctor can diagnose ADHD after a thorough and multifaceted evaluation. After a diagnosis, many young students with ADHD symptoms benefit from behavior therapy with a child psychologist. Behavioral therapy, especially combined with coaching, can help with managing symptoms.

Some individuals with ADHD struggle with extreme restlessness and avoiding unnecessary risks. They may also become easily distracted by various stimuli in the environment. Many people can therefore benefit from positive feedback and other simple strategies such as scheduled breaks and removing distractors from the environment.

What Can Executive Functioning Coaching Do For You or Your Child?

Executive function coaches like The Savvy Tutor can help you develop new habits that better suit your goals, including time management and organizational skills. Each coaching session will be practical, focusing on your individual goals and assignments, and we will work on strategies to enable you to maintain focus and complete tasks with increased efficiency.

Alex is an experienced and certified ADHD coach who works with individuals in middle school through adulthood on executive function skills. Through the ADHD coaching process, Alex can teach individuals of all ages, including college students, the most effective study skills to maximize your time and efforts and avoid careless mistakes. Alex provides one on one coaching, which addresses each person’s unique goals and needs through an individualized approach.

With regular meetings and positive reinforcement, you or your child will be able to manage daily activities, including tasks that cause anxiety, and reduce disruptive environmental factors.

Parent Coaching Programs

If you have a child with ADHD or executive functioning deficits, parent coaching can teach you tools and strategies to implement at home for better outcomes and reduced stress. During these sessions, parents learn how to better understand and manage their child’s behaviors at home, and how to communicate with their child’s teachers. Alex can also teach you how to monitor your child’s progress and when to seek out additional services and resources. With practice, parents can better understand their child’s needs and help their child build confidence and the tools needed for long- and short-term success.

Parents can support executive functioning coaching at home. Image from VeryWellMind.

The Savvy Tutor’s Background

Alex Yoken, The Savvy Tutor, is highly qualified in executive function coaching with over 13 years of experience and a dual Master’s in Education, with a concentration in Special Education. In addition, Alex is a New York State dually certified teacher and also works as a Special Education advocate. She is therefore highly knowledgeable about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (in also known as IDEA) and other important laws and protocols that affect students with ADHD and other disabilities.

Alex has worked with students with learning disabilities and ADHD in and out of the classroom, and can provide a more personalized and effective coaching experience than any level of school support can. Her vast experience working with graduate students and professionals in a variety of fields enables her to help any client accomplish their goals with individualized strategies and an approach that will support all aspects of their life.

“Consistent source of support and guidance”

I cannot express enough how fortunate I was to have such a dependable tutor throughout my academic journey. From my undergraduate studies in psychology to my master’s degree program, she was a consistent source of support and guidance. Her expertise and dedication made all the difference in my success. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking a knowledgeable and reliable tutor. Thank you Alex!

Madison C., Los Angeles, CA

“Patient, understanding and very supportive …”

Having Alex as a tutor was amazing. She is patient, understanding and very supportive in many ways. Alex not only helped our son with his writing and vocabulary, she helped him organize his thoughts and strengthen his study skills. I highly recommend Alex as a tutor.

–Celina M., Greenburgh, NY

“Personalized teaching style, depth of knowledge, attentive manner”

When there are so many great things that can be said about a person, it is hard to find the right words that truly satisfy that person’s character. I first began working with Alex when I was a freshman in high school. Not having success with previous tutors, I concluded that tutors simply are not for me. However, Alex showed me otherwise; her personalized teaching style, depth of knowledge, attentive manner, and even sense of humor is above any tutor I’ve ever encountered. Beyond the skills that make Alex an effective yet enjoyable tutor, she also provides insight and guidance to those who are struggling in certain areas of their life. I have sought Alex’s help with challenges both big and small, and she always steers me in the right direction while teaching me important life skills in the process. As I am now approaching my senior year, I am overwhelmed with feelings of confidence and excitement because I know that I will have Alex by my side.

–Victoria L., Armonk, NY

“Effective, Articulate Advocate”

I hired Alex to help me obtain a private school placement at the district’s expense for my 3rd grader, who is nonverbal and autistic. After hiring an ineffective attorney for the same purpose when my son was in first grade, Alex was able to accomplish this goal and got my son a placement in a specialized, private school program. While this endeavor took months of work, meetings, emails, and school visits to accomplish, my son is now in an appropriate program where he is able to learn and thrive. Additionally, Alex was able to get the school district to provide every single service, accommodation, and technology that I was requesting for my son. Alex is assertive, articulate, and knows the law and best educational practices. As such, she effectively and vociferously advocated on my son’s behalf and accomplished all of my goals. I highly recommend her to anyone in need of an advocate!

-Angela F., New Rochelle, NY

“High Quality Tutor”

Alex is a highly skilled and knowledgeable writing teacher. Warm and nurturing. Reliable. Made learning meaningful, engaging and fun. Definitely recommend and will use again.

-Wendy D., Tarrytown, NY

“Knowledgable and Dedicated”

I must admit that I was absolutely fortunate when I stumbled upon Alex’s website during my internet search a year and a half ago. I was desperately looking for someone to proof read my papers and assist in guiding me throughout the pursuit of my doctorate degree. With the guidance, support, and constructive criticism from this very knowledgeable, insightful, and patient individual I received As in all my courses. I truly enjoyed working with Alex.

-Jessie M., White Plains, NY

“The Best Tutor”

Alex is very well-versed and knowledgeable about many subjects. I have not been in school in over 20 years and now I am back to obtain my doctorate degree. Alex has helped me get organized and has assisted me with my APA citations, grammar, and word choice. My writing skills have improved significantly and every one of my papers has received an A. Alex has provided me with the skills I need to continue my studies. I am so lucky to have met Alex.

– Renee C., Yonkers, NY

“Awesome Teacher and Person”

Amanda: I am a student of Alex’s. I would recommend Alex to other students because she pushes you, gives you confidence, and she has a great sense of humor. She turns around any of your negative feelings into positive ones so you can believe in yourself to succeed.

Doretta: I am Amanda’s mom. Alex has a tremendous amount of patience. She is creative, funny, and very knowledgeable of her material. Alex tutored my daughter to obtain a driving permit. This was a major challenge for Amanda. Aside from needing help to learn the material, Amanda also has severe test anxiety. Amanda also has had many many tutors throughout her life. Alex not only helped Amanda learn the material and prepare for the test, but also made her believe in herself and decreased her anxiety. She is truly an awesome teacher and person. I highly recommend her to any struggling student.

– Amanda and Doretta Tarangioli, Eastchester, NY

“Hardworking and dedicated”

Alex is a hard working and extremely dedicated person. Not only is she able to help me better understand what I am studying but she also has a way of inspiring me to learn more. I have had many tutors and I know for a fact that Alex is by far the best. She pushes me to better myself and helps me become increasingly more interested in school. Alex helps me with whatever I need to improve on and is always the first and most excited to congratulate me on my accomplishments. After studying with Alex my grades have dramatically improved. This made it possible for me to get into a high honors English class after years of special Ed. Also with her help she made looking and applying for colleges an enjoyable experience. She is an amazing tutor and person and I can go on forever stating how much she has helped me become a confident student.

– Nicole L., Armonk, NY

“Extremely knowledgable about the admissions process”

My daughter struggled with writing her college application essay. We were fortunate to meet Alex who not only helped our daughter select the appropriate subject matter and prepare a well-written essay, but minimized the stress and drama that comes with this process. Alex has great writing skills and she is very creative and extremely knowledgable about the admissions process. Alex is a pleasure to work with.

–John S., White Plains, NY

“Knowledgeable and Helpful”

Alex helped me with my personal statements for graduate school. It was helpful to brainstorm ahead of time because it made our sessions more productive. However, we brainstormed more throughout our sessions. She made me feel confident in my writing and the writing process less stressful. She took notes as we talked and cares about making a connection with her students. I definitely recommend her assistance! It was such a pleasure to work with her and I will be sure to keep in contact with her for future assignments!

– Desiree, R., Homer Glen, IL

“Far exceeded expectations”

Alex has worked with my son for three months and the improvement we have seen has been tremendous. My son went from failing in math to exceeding his peers in class. He enjoys his sessions with Alex and as a matter of fact, looks forward to her coming to tutor him, he refers to it as “so much fun and interesting”. Alex provided our son with the necessary strategies to apply to solve math problems and we can see him applying those strategies in his homework assignments. Our son went from 60’s and 70’s to 95 in scores for his math tests. We are incredibly lucky and grateful to have found Alex. She has done wonders for our son and has been able to teach him in a manner where he understands and retains the information. She has far exceeded our expectations in so little time.

–Nadira B., Scarsdale, NY

“Insightful, inspirational, and enthusiastic professional”

Alex has been working with our 2nd grade daughter for over a few months now, and she has had an amazing, positive impact on her. Alex is knowledgeable, hardworking, and extremely patient with our daughter who has been having some challenges reading. Alex was able to identify our daughter’s weaknesses and help provide the necessary strategies and techniques to help her improve her reading skills. Alex is an excellent tutor who my daughter says “makes reading fun”! She eagerly awaits and looks forward to her sessions with Alex as Alex never fails to have a clever game and fun worksheets for them to work on together. With Alex’s help, our daughter’s confidence has really grown, and her reading has significantly improved –she will actually read aloud now! We are so grateful to have found Alex – she has truly been able to teach our daughter in ways that she can understand and learn. We can’t thank Alex enough for all her hard work, and would highly recommend her. If you’re looking for an intelligent, dedicated and incredibly responsive tutor, look no further!

–Eileen B., Tuckahoe, NY

“Dedicated, professional, reliable”

Alex is an inspiring tutor, full of enthusiasm and knowledge. Her lessons are always personalized and tailored specifically to my daughter’s needs. My 5th grade daughter always looks forward to meeting with Alex, as Alex always includes activities and games that make learning fun for her. I noticed her increase in confidence and it showed through her improvement in grades. Dedicated, professional, reliable – what more could you ask for! I would highly recommend Alex without any hesitation. Thank you, Alex!

–Jen A., White Plains, NY

“Excellent tutor, very helpful”

Alex worked with me very diligently and helped me with several college supplemental essays. Alex knew exactly what college admissions officers were looking for which helped me include critical information in my essays. Also, I was able to engage in conversation with Alex about how to go about revising my essays. She approaches the essay sentence by sentence and makes sure that the essential question: “so what?” is always answered within the writing. I recommend Alex as a tutor for anyone in need of help for any piece of writing.

–Brian W., Greenwich, CT

“Professional, effective tutor and advocate”

I hired Alex as a tutor and an advocate to help me prepare and receive accommodations for an NASM personal training exam. Alex was critical in helping me successfully study and prepare for the test by teaching me effective study skills and test-taking strategies. Alex was able to get NASM to provide me the full extent of accommodations that I was legally entitled to. She also made sure that the reader for my test was competent and prepared by personally escorting me to the testing center to make sure that they were following the appropriate procedures. I am extremely thankful to Alex for her dedication to my success and for helping me pass the exam.

–AJ Sauer, Tarrytown, NY

“Terrific tutor”

Alex is well prepared and detail-oriented and works hard during the sessions to make sure my son understands what she is working on with him.

–Bonnie Y., Scarsdale, NY

“Professional problem-solver”

My adult brother has been working with Alex for the past few months. She is amazing! I have never known someone in this profession to be so patient, insightful and so good at breaking down challenges into pieces of a puzzle in order to find the best possible solution.

–Andrea Weinberg, New York, NY

“Competent, knowledgeable, and committed”

Alex was able to help me improve my study and test-taking skills and I’m so glad I hired her! I am a nursing student in a competitive program and I felt lost given the vast amount of material that I had to study. Alex helped me use recall strategies like mnemonics to remember difficult terminology for exams. She was also helpful in teaching me metacognitive strategies for focus and self-monitoring during testing. I am especially grateful to Alex for helping me navigate through the difficult “red tape” of my program. She taught me effective self-advocacy techniques so that I was able to attain the outcome I was seeking by being assertive about my rights. I am now much more confident about going into my next semester of school and feel like I have the necessary skills to succeed.

–Sam Kudelka, Pleasantville, NY