The BestEFC Blog
Welcome to my blog. In my coaching practice, from middle school through college, I see the same struggles again and again: missing work, homework that never gets started, no idea how long an assignment will take or what to work on first, and grades that keep slipping while no one is sure how to turn them around. I write about what actually helps, so you get the benefit of coaching from home. Pick a topic below, read what fits your student, and bookmark this page. I add new posts regularly. — Natalie
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Executive Function App or Coach? What Each One Changes at Home
An executive function app teaches strategies. A coach helps your student use them on real homework. Here’s how to tell which one your kid needs.
Executive Function Help for Small-Town and Rural Students
Smart, hardworking and still falling behind? What executive function help looks like for small-town and rural students, and where to find it.
No Executive Function Coach Near Me? What Rural Families Can Do
Searched “executive function coach near me” and the closest one is hours away? Here’s how rural families get real executive function help online.
How to Find an ADHD Coach for a College Student Before Fall Semester
How to find an ADHD coach for a college student: when to start looking before fall semester, what to ask, online vs. near campus, and what changes in college.
Executive Function Coaching for Students: What It Looks Like in Middle School, High School and College
Executive function coaching for students builds the planning, starting and follow-through skills school assumes they already have. Here’s what it looks like in middle school, high school and college, what changes at home, and how to pick a coach.
ADHD Executive Functioning Coach: What Parents Should Know
An ADHD executive functioning coach helps your student build the planning, starting and follow-through skills school expects. Here’s what coaching covers, what it doesn’t, and how to choose a coach.
Executive Function Skills for Teens: What They Are and Why They Matter
Planning, organizing, getting started, managing time, speaking up and following through. Here’s what each executive function skill looks like in a teen, what it looks like when it’s missing, and how teens build them.
Executive Function Tutoring vs. Coaching: Which Does Your Student Need?
Your student understands the material but can’t seem to plan, start or finish the work. Here’s how executive function tutoring, subject tutoring and executive function coaching differ, and how to tell which one fits.
Can You Use an FSA or HSA for ADHD and Executive Function Coaching?
Many families can use FSA or HSA dollars for ADHD and executive function coaching with a doctor's letter. Here's what to ask your plan and what you'll need.
Can College Students With ADHD Get Executive Function Coaching Over Video?
Yes, college students with ADHD can get weekly executive function coaching over video. Here's what good video coaching looks like, who does it well, and how educational consultants refer.
Who Do Educational Consultants Refer College Students to for Executive Function Coaching?
Educational consultants refer college students who struggle with planning, deadlines and follow-through to an executive function coach. Here’s what to look for, when to refer, and when a tutor or therapist fits better.
How I Help Students Build a Trusted Adult at School
Students with a trusted adult at school are more likely to take advanced classes. Here are three simple steps to help your student build that relationship before they need it.
How I Help Students Use AI Without Handing Over Their Thinking
AI can make homework look great while test scores slip. Here's a simple three-step routine to help your student study with AI without skipping the thinking.
How I Help Student-Athletes Stay Ahead of Schoolwork During Travel Season
Away games and travel weekends don’t have to wreck your grades. Three simple steps student-athletes can use to stay ahead of schoolwork all season.
Your Kid Doesn’t Have a Diagnosis. That Doesn’t Mean Nothing’s Going On.
Your kid doesn’t check the box for any label — no IEP, no 504, no diagnosis on paper. That doesn’t mean nothing’s going on. Here’s what an EF gap actually looks like at home, with or without a diagnosis.
The Only Homework Plan You Need Until High School
This routine isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about giving your child a system built for success — one that aligns with what research actually says about attention, motivation, and developing brains.
Set the stage. Run the focused 35 with a visual timer ticking. Stop hard and celebrate.
Try it tonight, and you’ll see the shift start on night one.