The feedback meeting is over. You walk out to the car with a thick report, a lot of new words, and one line you underlined twice: "explicit instruction in executive functioning skills." Your teen asks what it said. You're not sure where to start, and you're not even sure who is supposed to do that part.
The short answer: After a neuropsychological evaluation, the recommendations are the roadmap, and each one needs a person. Accommodations usually go to the school through a 504 plan or IEP. Explicit executive function instruction means someone teaching your student planning, starting and follow-through on purpose, week after week. An executive function coach is one of the people who does that.
What is a neuropsychological evaluation?
A neuropsychological evaluation is an in-depth look at how your child thinks and learns. A licensed psychologist uses testing, interviews and observation to map strengths and struggles, then writes recommendations. Columbia's pediatric neuropsychology service lists what it usually covers:
- Intellectual ability (IQ)
- Academic skills like reading, writing and math
- Attention and executive functioning
- Emotional and behavioral functioning
The testing itself often takes several hours. Children's Wisconsin says two to six hours, followed by a feedback session to go over the results.
What does "explicit instruction in executive functioning" mean?
It means the skills get taught directly, not just hoped for. Executive functioning is the set of skills that help your student plan, get started, keep track of time, stay organized and follow through. "Explicit" means someone names the skill, shows how it works on real schoolwork, and practices it with your student until it holds.
It's the opposite of "try harder" or "use a planner." Your student isn't broken. They need a system built for how their brain works.
At the kitchen table: If they could, they would. When I read a report like this, what I hear is a smart kid who has been working hard without the skills school assumes they already have. These kids are carrying a lot, and they deserve the chance to work through it with someone in their corner.
Who is supposed to carry out the recommendations?
Different people own different parts. In a Psychology Today guide to neuropsychological evaluations, psychologist Sara Douglas advises asking the evaluator who should be responsible for each recommendation. Here's how it usually breaks down:
| Type of recommendation | Who usually owns it |
|---|---|
| Classroom accommodations (extra time, notes, testing setting) | The school, through a 504 plan or IEP |
| Medical or medication follow-up | Your child's doctor |
| Anxiety, mood or emotional support | A therapist or counselor |
| Reading, writing or math skill gaps | A specialist or tutor |
| Explicit instruction in executive functioning skills | An executive function coach, or school support when it's available |
If you need any of those people locally, start with my Sioux Falls referral partner directory. It lists counselors, neuropsychologists, tutors and more.
Not sure where your student's skills stand day to day? The report shows what testing found. The free executive function test for parents takes a few minutes and shows what you're seeing at home.
What should you ask at the feedback meeting?
Ask questions that turn the report into a plan. These are the ones parents most often wish they'd asked:
- Which two or three recommendations matter most right now?
- Who should be responsible for each one?
- What should the school get, and what stays with our family?
- Which executive function skills should we work on first?
- When should we check progress or re-test?
If the evaluation found strengths alongside struggles, also ask whether your child is twice-exceptional and what the testing results mean for school.
Can't an app or a planner cover the executive function piece?
Sometimes, for a mild struggle. But most apps and planners depend on the very skills the report flagged: remembering to open them, starting, and noticing when the plan fell apart. Change is created by relationships, not an app. Here's more on how an executive function app compares to a coach.
What if the report sits in a drawer?
It happens all the time. The meeting is full of information, the school piece takes weeks, and the executive function line has no clear owner. Months later, school nights look exactly the same, and you're still the planner, the reminder and the alarm clock. How is your kid ever going to do this without you?
That's the part I work on. As a certified executive function coach, I take that one line in the report and turn it into skills your student uses on their real homework, week after week, until the new way becomes their way. We pick one focus at a time, and you'll see the change at home. Your role shifts from homework manager to coach and backup support.
Bring the report to a free call. Tell me what school nights look like, and I'll show you what would change for your student. Book a free discovery call. Free call. No pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Is a neuropsychological evaluation the same as an ADHD evaluation?
Not exactly. An ADHD evaluation answers one question. A neuropsychological evaluation looks more broadly at learning, attention, executive functioning and emotions, and it can include an ADHD diagnosis.
Does the school have to follow the neuropsych report?
The school has to consider an outside evaluation, but it decides what goes into a 504 plan or IEP. Share the report and ask for a meeting to go over the recommendations.
How soon should we start on the executive function recommendations?
As soon as you know who owns them. Skills build with practice, so starting now gives your student more time to practice before the stakes get higher.
What does an executive function coach do with the report?
A coach uses it to choose where to start, then builds those skills on your student's real schoolwork. A parent's guide to executive function coaching explains how it works, and executive function coaching for tweens and teens shows the options.
