Online Executive Function Coaching for Midwest and Rural Families
No executive function coach within driving distance? Your student can still get one, from home, on a schedule that works around practice, chores and the long drive to everything.
By Natalie Micheel, Certified Executive Function Coach, MBA · Sioux Falls, SD and online
The short answer: Yes, your student can get executive function coaching even if there's no coach near you. Online executive function coaching works over video, one-on-one, on your student's real schoolwork. They build the planning, focus and follow-through skills school assumes they already have, and no one has to drive an hour each way to do it.
Can my teen get executive function coaching if there's no coach near us?
Yes. Executive function coaching doesn't need a building. It needs a coach, a student, their real assignments and a steady time each week. Online, all four fit in your kitchen.
That matters when you live in a small town, on a farm or ranch, or anywhere the nearest specialist is a long drive away. Instead of choosing between no help and a lost evening on the road, your student logs on from home.
How does online executive function coaching work?
It works the same way in-person coaching does. Only the commute disappears.
One-on-one with your student, at a time that fits around school, practice and home.
Every session uses what's due this week, so each skill gets used right away.
One place for what's due and a plan for the week, practiced until it becomes their way.
Parents stay in the loop through family team meetings, so you know the plan without having to run it. Read more about how coaching works in a parent's guide to executive function coaching.
Online or in person: which is better for my student?
Both teach the same skills. The best format is the one your student will actually show up for, week after week.
| In person | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | A drive to the office each week | None. Your student logs on from home |
| Scheduling | Has to fit office hours plus drive time | Easier to fit around practices, games, chores and jobs |
| Schoolwork | Brought along in a backpack | Already open on the screen: the school portal, the planner, the assignment |
| Skills built | Planning, starting, organizing, following through | The same skills, practiced the same way |
Who is online executive function coaching for?
It's for students who are trying and still struggling with the work around school, wherever home is:
- Small-town and rural students with no coach nearby.
- Farm and ranch families whose busy seasons don't follow the school calendar.
- Homeschooled and co-op students who need to plan and pace their own work.
- Student-athletes with long bus rides and away games eating into homework time.
- College students from small towns heading to a big campus. See executive function coaching for college students.
- Middle and high schoolers anywhere. See how coaching works for teens and tweens.
Not sure where your student's struggle comes from? The free executive function test for parents takes about two minutes.
When a smart kid is still struggling, it's rarely about effort. Somewhere in the skills, the system or the support, something isn't working yet. We figure it out together, and we build what's missing.
Sound like your house?
Tell me what school nights look like, and I'll show you what would change for your student.
What does online executive function coaching cost?
Online coaching costs the same as in person. At BestEFC, private executive function coaching for teens and tweens is a 12-week package of weekly 45-minute sessions for $2,397, or three monthly payments of $799. Twelve weeks, because real habits take time to stick.
Some families use FSA or HSA funds; coaching may be eligible with a letter from your child's doctor, so check with your plan.
What do we need for online coaching?
- A laptop or tablet with a camera, in a quiet spot at home.
- Your student's school portal and assignments, the same ones they use every day.
- A steady weekly time that you protect, even in busy seasons.
I coach from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and I work with families in person here and online everywhere else. My commitment is simple: to be as generous and helpful as I can, and to reach and equip as many students and parents as I can. Where you live shouldn't decide whether your student gets someone in their corner.
Frequently asked questions
Do you coach students outside South Dakota?
Yes. BestEFC coaches in person in Sioux Falls, SD and online anywhere.
Does online executive function coaching really work?
It builds the same skills as in-person coaching, practiced on the same real schoolwork. What matters most is a student who shows up every week and practices between sessions.
Is online coaching a good fit for homeschooled students?
Yes. Homeschooled students often manage more of their own schedule, so planning, pacing and following through matter even more.
What ages do you coach online?
Middle school, high school and college students.
Can sessions fit around sports, chores or a job?
That's one of the biggest reasons families choose online. With no drive, it's easier to find a steady weekly time that works.
Let's talk about your student.
If this sounds like your student, I'd love to talk. The door is open.
Connect With Natalie Free call. No pressure. Not sure yet? Take the free executive function test →