What is an Executive Functioning Coach and What do they Do?

An executive functioning coach is a professional who specializes in helping individuals develop and improve their executive functioning skills.

Executive functioning skills are the cognitive processes that allow individuals to plan, organize, initiate, and complete tasks. These skills are critical for success in many areas of life, including academic, work, and personal settings.

An executive functioning coach works with individuals to identify their specific executive functioning strengths and weaknesses, and to develop strategies to improve their skills.

The coach may work with individuals of all ages, from children to adults, and may specialize in working with individuals with ADHD, learning disabilities, or other conditions that affect executive functioning.

A couple of years ago, I did a Facebook Live event with an Executive Functioning Coach.

You can watch it below. She gave some great tips on working with your kids.

That should serve as a guide as you choose an EF coach for yourself or your child.

What does an EF coach do?

The following are some of the key functions of an executive functioning coach:

1. Assessing Executive Functioning Skills: An executive functioning coach will start by assessing the individual’s current executive functioning skills. This may involve a formal assessment, such as a standardized test, or an informal assessment, such as an interview or observation. The coach will use this information to develop a personalized plan to improve the individual’s executive functioning skills.
2. Developing Strategies: Based on the assessment, the coach will work with the individual to develop specific strategies to improve their executive functioning skills. These strategies may include techniques for improving planning and organization, time management, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.
3. Goal Setting: The coach will work with the individual to identify specific goals related to their executive functioning skills. These goals may be related to academic or work performance, or to personal goals such as managing household tasks or self-care.
4. Monitoring Progress: The coach will regularly monitor the individual’s progress toward their goals, and adjust their strategies as needed. This may involve regular check-ins, progress reports, or other methods of tracking progress.
5. Providing Accountability: The coach will hold the individual accountable for following through on their goals and strategies. This may involve setting deadlines or checkpoints and providing support and encouragement to help the individual stay on track.
6. Providing Emotional Support: In addition to providing practical support and strategies, an executive functioning coach may also provide emotional support to help the individual overcome any obstacles or challenges they may face. This may involve providing encouragement, empathy, or problem-solving skills.

By working with an executive functioning coach, individuals can develop the skills they need to succeed in academic, work, and personal settings, and can achieve their goals with greater ease and confidence.

Read: How to Become an Executive Function Coach

Do Schools have to provide Executive Function Coaches?

Schools have to provide FAPE. FAPE is individualized for the child.

If a child has identified executive function deficits or executive dysfunction listed in their IEP present levels, then they should have an executive functioning IEP goal (at least one, maybe more).

The team then has to provide the appropriate supports, services and interventions for the child to achieve those goals. That may or may not be an EF coach.

They have to provide the supports defined in the IEP. If it lists an EF coach, then yes, they must provide one.

However, in most school districts, executive functioning coaching is done by special education teachers, OTs, SLPs and guidance counselors.

IDEA does not provide us with an ala carte menu of what schools must provide, as that would go against individualization.

Like any other request you make for your IEP to add something to an IEP, do your request in writing and follow up with a PWN. I have many more articles about how to do this on this site (search bar to your right).

How does someone become an Executive Function Coach?

Becoming an executive function coach typically requires a combination of education, training, and experience working with individuals who have executive function challenges.

Executive function coaching certification is available, but not required.

Here are some steps that someone may take to become an executive function coach:

1. Obtain a relevant degree: While there is no specific degree required to become an executive function coach, many coaches have a background in psychology, education, or a related field. Some coaches may also have a degree in occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, or another healthcare field.
2. Gain experience working with individuals with executive function challenges: Many executive function coaches gain experience working as teachers, tutors, or therapists before becoming coaches. This experience can help coaches develop an understanding of the challenges that individuals with executive function issues face and learn effective strategies for addressing those challenges.
3. Complete specialized training: Many executive function coaches complete specialized training in executive function coaching. This training may be offered by universities, coaching organizations, or other professional development providers.
4. Obtain certification: While certification is not required to become an executive function coach, some coaches choose to obtain certification to demonstrate their expertise and credibility. There are several organizations that offer certification programs for executive function coaches, such as the Institute for the Advancement of ADHD Coaching and the ADD Coach Academy.
5. Build a network and establish a practice: Once someone has the education, training, and experience to become an executive function coach, they can begin building a network of potential clients and establishing a practice. This may involve developing a website, marketing their services, and building relationships with healthcare providers, educators, and other professionals who may refer clients to them.

Overall, becoming an executive function coach requires a combination of education, training, and experience working with individuals who have executive function challenges, as well as the ability to build a practice and establish a network of potential clients.

Does Insurance pay for an EF coach?

I often ask parents if they have a “path of least resistance” when it comes to meeting their child’s needs. That may include paying for a service privately or having insurance pay for a service.

I’m not entirely comfortable with letting schools off the hook for their responsibilities. If the IEP calls for an executive function coach, then they should provide it. But, I also acknowledge that we don’t always have the mental bandwidth to fight every battle with a school IEP team.

Whether insurance will cover executive function coaching will depend on the specific insurance plan and the reason for seeking the coaching.

While executive function coaching can be helpful for individuals with various conditions, such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or traumatic brain injury, it is typically not covered by insurance as a medical treatment.

However, some insurance plans may cover executive function coaching if it is deemed medically necessary to treat a specific condition or as part of a broader treatment plan. In these cases, a physician or other healthcare provider would need to recommend the coaching as a medically necessary intervention, and the insurance company would need to approve the treatment.

It is important to note that even if insurance does not cover executive function coaching, some individuals may be able to use flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts to pay for the coaching with pre-tax dollars.

Additionally, some executive function coaches may offer sliding scale fees or other financial assistance options to help make their services more accessible.

Overall, the coverage of executive function coaching by insurance will vary depending on the individual’s specific insurance plan and the reason for seeking the coaching. It’s also important to remember that there is no state licensing like there is with OTs, PTs, and SLPs. As such, anyone can hang a sign and declare that they are an EF coach.

That’s part of the problem with getting insurance coverage. Insurance companies have no defined criteria for this and to my knowledge, there are no specific billing codes for this.

It may be easier to get coverage if the EF coach is also a licensed therapist or psychologist of some kind, and already has processes in place to accept insurance.

And it is important to check with the insurance provider and the coach to determine what, if any, insurance coverage may be available.

Overall, an executive functioning coach can be a valuable resource for individuals who struggle with executive functioning skills.