Why did the executive function coach always carry a stopwatch?
Because time flies when you’re improving EF skills!
Jokes aside, executive functioning coaching is no laughing matter here at LSA. It’s at the core of how we help clients unlock their full potential.
According to recent studies, executive functioning coaching has shown a remarkable success rate, with students and young adults demonstrating:
- Statistically significant improvements in executive functioning skills like planning and time management.
- Transformation in well-being and perception of how to self-manage tasks.
- A greater sense of autonomy and self-efficacy to face life’s biggest challenges.
But just because the research says that’s what supposed to happen in executive functioning coaching, how do you really know if it’s working for you?
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the signs that indicate executive functioning coaching is having positive benefits, helping you gauge the effectiveness of this transformative practice. We’ll look at ways to measure progress and celebrate the achievements along the way.
Click here to jump to the TL;DR summary.
Before You Get Started
As you get started with EF coaching, there are a few things that can set the stage for better outcomes–specifically how you set goals and establish milestones that can indicate progress along the way.
SMART Goals Are Easy-to-Evaluate Goals
We’ve written a lot about SMART goals here at LSA (and here. And here. And here!)
One of the reasons we use them with clients in coaching is that the provide a clear focus for progress and can more easily help you recognize when you are and are not making progress towards a goal.
SMART stands for:
S – Specific – What is the behavior we want to achieve?
M – Measurable – How will we know that we’ve achieved it?
A – Attainable – Is the goal realistic? Is the outcome practical and achievable?
R – Relevant – Why is this goal important to achieve? What difference will it make for my life or for others around me?
T – Time-Bound – When will this goal be accomplished?
With these elements, SMART goals help us establish a clear vision for what our goal intends to accomplish and begin to chart out a path to get there.
As you create SMART goals at the onset of executive functioning coaching, establish benchmarks or milestones that will highlight advancement to the end goal.
To help with motivation, you can also select “mini-rewards” for achieving these milestones that serve as meaningful things to strive for. Adding in small things like a special outing or extra privileges can be powerful check points, especially if the goals you have for coaching might take several months to achieve.
For more information on goal setting, download Our Free Fillable .PDF SMART Goal Planning Worksheet. It has all the steps you need to create milestones for your next SMART executive functioning goal.
During Coaching
As you progress through coaching, there are some key indicators that can help you evaluate whether you’re making progress. Since every individual responds to EF coaching in unique ways, it’s best to have milestones specific to your own goals. However if you’re experiencing these changes along the way, it’s likely you’re making progress.
Changes in Productivity – Are you getting more done?
One of the many reasons clients come to us for coaching is to increase productivity. What that means looks different for every neurodiverse individual–but in general, if you’re getting more done week over week, it’s likely you’re making progress in executive functioning skills.
Even small changes in how we plan our time, organize our stuff, and manage our attention, emotions and impulsive behaviors can add up to big improvements in productivity.
As you progress through executive functioning coaching, if you can say “yes” to these questions, it’s likely you’re seeing progress in productivity:
- Am I getting more assignments, homework and projects finished?
- Is it easier to work through my to-do list?
- Are there fewer things that get “stuck” on my to-do list and never seem to come off?
- Do I have more free time and downtime to do things I want?
Changes in Relationships – Is getting along with others easier?
Productivity isn’t the only benefit of EF coaching, our clients often see personal relationships improve as well. This happens as part of the EF Ripple Effect, or when improvements in one area of executive functioning skills has trickle down impacts to other areas of life.
Improvements in how we manage our tasks, our time, and our emotions, can also improve how we engage with others. As EF skills improve, parents, friends and family members experience the happier, less stressed versions of ourselves. We often have more time for social activities and free time to dedicate to others.
Ask yourself these questions during executive functioning as a way to evaluate your progress:
- Do I have more time for others? For free time and social activities?
- Am I having more positive interactions with friends and family?
- Are there fewer negative interactions with others as a result of being late, forgetting tasks, or ‘dropping the ball’?
- Am I better able to keep my emotions in check? Spend less time frustrated or stressed out?
- Have others commented on positive changes?
Self-Monitoring = A Key to Successfully Evaluating Progress
It’s okay if it initially feels difficult to evaluate your own progress in EF coaching.
Self-monitoring–or how we understand and evaluate our own behaviors–is an EF skill that’s often underdeveloped in neurodivergent populations.
If answering “yes” to the questions above is challenging, perhaps it’s worth consulting with your EF coach about ways you can improve self-monitoring.
Many self-monitoring strategies are simple and can be easily built into your daily routines. Check out things like:
- Setting daily intentions and checking off when they’re met.
- Taking data using a smartphone or fitness device.
- Graphing goal progress on a data sheet.
- Practicing and rehearsing behavior change strategies.
- Using checklists and behavior logs.
Want more information about self-monitoring and taking data on your progress? Download Our 3 FREE Behavior Data Collection Worksheets Fillable .PDF & Gain Valuable Insights About Your Progress in EF Coaching
Discharge or Continuing with Coaching
One final way to know that progress is happening is if you start to feel like coaching sessions are no longer necessary or that you’ve made enough progress that you can manage forward on your own.
Having conversations with your coach about fading sessions farther apart or potentially discontinuing sessions is a good sign that you’ve made progress towards your EF goals. If you or your coach are asking questions like:
- Am I still benefiting from coaching sessions?
- Am I ready to scale back or choose a different schedule of sessions?
- Is there anything left I can work on that I need a coach for?
- When I set new goals, will I need my coach’s support to accomplish them?
- Are there other supports in my network, including family and friends who could also help me with my goals?
Getting Started with an Executive Function Coach
If after reading about measuring progress on executive functioning skills you’re ready to get started with a coach, here are a few different options to start your path forward:
- Use Life Skills Advocate – You’re already here. So we might as well suggest one of our own experienced executive functioning coaches! Schedule a discovery call here.
- Talk to your primary care doctor, clinic nurse, or mental health professional for a referral to an executive functioning coach.
- Check at your school counseling center or your university academic advisement office. Many institutions can offer executive functioning support services as part of “academic supports.”
- Search online for coaches in your area. Many coaches also share testimonials or reviews of their services online, giving you a chance to see others’ experiences with the services.
- Check with your insurance provider to see if they cover coaching services. More and more employer-provided insurance carriers cover life coaching or EF skill training as part of employee benefits.
Once you have a few potential coaches, assemble a list of questions you have for the coach to help evaluate the goodness of fit.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) – How do I know if executive function coaching is working?
How do I know if executive functioning coaching is working? How do I know if I’m making progress on executive functioning skills? Measuring progress on EF skills can be done before, during, and after the EF coaching process. It’s an important part of finding success in coaching.
Set up EF coaching to be successful by using SMART goals and milestones to track progress.
Then continue to evaluate key indicators of progress including increased productivity and improved relationships.
Self-monitoring is crucial for evaluating progress, but this is an EF skill that may also need to be developed along the way.
Finally, it may be appropriate to discontinue EF coaching sessions and that feeling ready to end sessions is also a sign that you’ve made progress towards your goals.
Further Reading
- Executive Functioning 101: All About Self-Monitoring
- Field, S., Parker, D. R., Sawilowsky, S., & Rolands, L. (2013). Assessing the Impact of ADHD Coaching Services on University Students’ Learning Skills, Self-Regulation, and Well-Being. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 26(1), 67-81.
- Goudreau, S. B., & Knight, M. (2016). Executive Function Coaching as a Tool for Transition to College for Students with ADHD. The ADHD Report, 24(5), 1-5.
- Life Skills Advocate Blog – 10 Minute Tips to Build Self-Monitoring
- Life Skills Advocate Blog – How To Help Your Teen Develop Goals About Their Health
- Life Skills Advocate Blog – How To Teach Your Teen to Use Self-Monitoring
- Life Skills Advocate Blog – Using SMART Goals To Improve Financial Literacy in Unique Learners
- Parker, D. R., & Boutelle, K. (2009). Executive function coaching for college students with learning disabilities and ADHD: A new approach for fostering self‐determination. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24(4), 204-215.
- SMART Goal Setting Email Course
- Understanding the Cascading Effects of Executive Dysfunction