Executive Function for All | A Podcast by Untapped Learning

Brandon Slade

Struggling with organization, time management, or focus? Welcome to "Executive Function Skills for All," the podcast dedicated to helping you master executive function skills and achieve your goals. Whether you're a student aiming for better grades, an adult juggling life's demands, a teenager seeking improved focus, or a student-athlete balancing academics and sports, this podcast is for you. We explore practical strategies for improving planning, organization, time management, emotional regulation, and more. Dealing with ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, autism spectrum challenges, or just want to improve without a formal diagnosis? Join us each week as we combine research insights with real-life examples to help you boost productivity, conquer procrastination, and establish strong habits and routines. Featuring expert interviews and inspiring stories, we're here to guide you on your journey to better executive function. Subscribe now and start unlocking your full potential!

  1. The Parent Trap: Breaking the Cycle of Conflict at Home | Katie Blakeley

    1 DAY AGO

    The Parent Trap: Breaking the Cycle of Conflict at Home | Katie Blakeley

    If it feels like every conversation with your child turns into a battle, you’re not alone. In this episode, Brandon sits down with Katie Blakeley, an executive function and parent coach who works closely with neurodiverse students and families, to unpack a pattern many parents find themselves stuck in but don’t know how to name. You try to help. They resist. You step in more. They shut down or push back even harder. Katie explains why this cycle happens, how it connects to emotional regulation and executive function, and why the instinct to “fix” often backfires even when it comes from a good place. This conversation gives parents a clearer way to respond in the moment, reduce conflict at home, and build a stronger connection with their child without lowering expectations. If your child gets overwhelmed easily, avoids tasks, or reacts strongly when you step in, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on and what to do differently. Learn more about Katie’s work: https://www.blakeywellness.com/ If this episode resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a parent who needs this perspective. For more support building executive function skills in students, visit untappedlarning.com or explore more episodes on our channel.

    33 min
  2. The 5 Pillars of a Successful Transition to College | Hannah Bookbinder

    20 MAR

    The 5 Pillars of a Successful Transition to College | Hannah Bookbinder

    The transition from high school to college is one of the most significant and often underestimated shifts in a student’s life. While many students leave home academically prepared, far fewer are equipped with the executive function skills required to manage their time, advocate for themselves, and navigate the independence that college demands. In this episode, Brandon sits down with Hannah Bookbinder, academic coach and founder of AcademicAlly, to break down the five pillars of a successful transition to college. With over 25 years of experience working with students, Hannah shares a practical and deeply human framework for helping students build the skills they actually need before they leave home. This conversation explores what changes when external structure disappears, why so many capable students struggle during their first year, and how parents can support the transition without creating dependence. You’ll hear insights on: • The five pillars that support a successful transition to college • Why time management becomes a challenge without structure • How students can develop self-advocacy and accountability • The role of routines, planning, and follow-through in college success • What parents can do to prepare their child for independence This episode is especially valuable for students with ADHD or executive function challenges, but the principles apply to any student preparing to take ownership of their academic and personal life. If your child is approaching college or already feeling overwhelmed by the transition, this conversation will give you a clearer understanding of what they need and how to support them in building it. This conversation is especially valuable for students with ADHD, executive function challenges, or learning differences, but the principles apply to any student preparing for independence in college. Learn more about Hannah's work: https://mytoadapp.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/my-toad-llc-099450368/ https://www.youtube.com/@MyTOADCoach https://www.facebook.com/mytoadapp https://www.instagram.com/mytoad_llc/ My TOAD App & Book: Special Offer for Listeners Use code SLADE10 for a discount on the My TOAD app and book. App: Sign up at health.clickmedix.com/toad or download on iOS at ios.mytoadapp.comBook (audio or hardcopy): Purchase at mytoadapp.com/shop and enter code SLADE10 at checkout

    34 min
  3. Understanding ADHD: Rejection Sensitivity, Motivation, and the ADHD Brain | Dr. William Dodson

    11 MAR

    Understanding ADHD: Rejection Sensitivity, Motivation, and the ADHD Brain | Dr. William Dodson

    What if ADHD isn’t a deficit… but a different nervous system? In this powerful conversation, board-certified psychiatrist Dr. William Dodson shares decades of clinical insight on ADHD, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), medication optimization, and what he calls the “interest-based nervous system. We discuss: • Why importance doesn’t motivate the ADHD brain • The 5 things that reliably create engagement • How untreated ADHD damages self-esteem• Why medication alone is never enough • The power of having one adult who “gets it” At Untapped Learning, this aligns deeply with our belief that executive function is the foundation. When we stop trying to “fix” students and instead understand how their brain works, everything changes. Listen to the full episode and rethink ADHD. Learn more about Dr. Dodson's work here: https://www.dodsonadhdtreatment.com/https://www.additudemag.com/author/william-dodson-m-d/

    27 min
  4. How Dungeons & Dragons Builds Executive Function Skills with Rhina Guzmán

    4 MAR

    How Dungeons & Dragons Builds Executive Function Skills with Rhina Guzmán

    What if executive function skills weren’t taught through worksheets, but through adventure? In this episode, we sit down with Rhina Guzman, executive function coach at Untapped Learning and creator of our Dungeons & Dragons Executive Function Program. Rhina explains how a tabletop role-playing game becomes a powerful tool for building organization, emotional regulation, task initiation, planning, and social problem-solving. Students manage character sheets, navigate uncertainty, regulate emotions under pressure, collaborate in group decisions, and initiate problem-solving—all in a fully screen-free, high-engagement environment. This is executive function development through experience, not lectures. If you’re a parent looking for creative, real-world ways to help your child build independence and confidence, this episode will shift how you think about skill development. Learn more about Untapped Learning: 🌐 https://untappedlearning.com 📥 Free resources: https://untappedlearning.com/resource-type/downloads/ 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/untappedlearning Hosted by Brandon Slade. Produced by Nathan Weinberg.

    28 min
  5. Anxiety Isn’t the Problem | Nick Thompson, LCSW, on Performance & Pressure

    27 FEB

    Anxiety Isn’t the Problem | Nick Thompson, LCSW, on Performance & Pressure

    If your teen says “I have anxiety” before every test, presentation, or big moment… this episode will change how you understand what’s actually happening. Licensed clinical social worker Nick Thompson joins us to unpack the truth about anxiety, performance pressure, and why students shut down under stress. With over 15 years of experience working with adolescents and families in schools, private practice, residential treatment settings, and early intervention programs, Nick specializes in helping teens navigate anxiety, identity, and academic overwhelm without shame. In this conversation, we break down the difference between anxiety and worry, why the brain mistakes discomfort for danger, how stress impacts focus and decision-making, and the connection between ADHD, creativity, and spiraling thoughts. Nick also shares practical tools students can use before tests or presentations, including grounding techniques, breathwork, and how to work with anxiety instead of fighting it. If you’re a parent, educator, or student trying to make sense of performance anxiety and shutdowns, this conversation brings clarity, science, and real strategies you can use right away. Learn more about Nick's work here: https://www.nicholasdthompson.com/ Explore Untapped Learning’s mentoring and free resources: https://untappedlearning.com/

    34 min
  6. Harvard M.Ed. Andrew Watson on Working Memory

    20 FEB

    Harvard M.Ed. Andrew Watson on Working Memory

    Few things are more frustrating than feeling like your brain just won’t hold onto information. You try to follow directions. You lose track halfway through. You ask a question that was just answered. And eventually, you start wondering if something is wrong with you. In this episode of Executive Function for All, Brandon sits down with Andrew Watson — former high school teacher, Harvard M.Ed. in Mind, Brain, and Education, and author of Learning Begins — to unpack the science of working memory. Here’s the hard truth: Working memory capacity is limited for everyone. And despite what some programs claim, research does not strongly support that we can artificially increase it. But here’s the hopeful part: We can design systems that reduce overload and make learning more manageable. Andrew shares: • What working memory actually is • Why it feels so frustrating • Why low scores are not an academic death sentence • The 3-question framework: Anticipate. Identify. Solve. • Signs of overload that look like “not listening.” • How dual coding (visual + verbal instruction) increases usable capacity • Why emotional safety matters for cognitive performance This episode reframes memory struggles from character flaws to capacity constraints. Learn more about Andrew’s work at: https://translatethebrain.com/ Explore Untapped Learning’s mentoring and free resources: https://untappedlearning.com/ #WorkingMemory #ExecutiveFunction #ADHDSupport #EducationPodcast #UntappedLearning

    35 min
  7. How to Support Your Teen Without Overstepping | Shawna Warner, MSW

    4 FEB

    How to Support Your Teen Without Overstepping | Shawna Warner, MSW

    Parenting teenagers often feels like walking a tightrope. You want to support them, but not smother them. You want to help, but not fix everything for them. In this episode of Executive Function for All, we’re joined by Shawna Warner, a parent coach and clinical social worker who specializes in teenage resilience, identity development, and family dynamics. We talk about what happens when a teen’s identity gets shaken by setbacks, how parents can tell when to step in versus step back, and why resilience is built through curiosity, not control. Shawna also shares practical tools for supporting highly sensitive teens, creating predictable after-school transitions, and helping kids develop a stronger sense of self without pressure or perfectionism. If you’re parenting a teen who feels overwhelmed, emotionally reactive, or stuck in self-doubt, this conversation will help you respond with clarity, compassion, and confidence. Want to learn more about how Untapped Learning helps students (and their families) build executive function skills? Learn more about Shawna's work here: https://cultivatingresilientteens.com/meet-shawna-warner/ Explore our 1-on-1 mentoring, workshops, and free resources at 🌐 Website: https://untappedlearning.com 📥 Free Downloads: https://untappedlearning.com/resource-type/downloads/ 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/untappedlearning

    32 min
  8. Supporting Kids Who Struggle: Tools for Parents and Educators | Ali Schroer, LCSW

    28 JAN

    Supporting Kids Who Struggle: Tools for Parents and Educators | Ali Schroer, LCSW

    In this episode of EF for All, we’re joined by Ali Schroer, LCSW—a psychotherapist, former classroom teacher, and nationally recognized expert on anxiety and executive functioning. As the founder of Schroer Counseling and Consulting, Ali brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and real-world experience supporting children, teens, families, and high-achieving adults. Ali’s background includes training at Children’s Hospital Colorado and The Kempe Center, where she helped develop programs for youth anxiety. She now runs a thriving private practice, teaches at the University of Denver, and consults with major organizations like Faegre Drinker on mental health and well-being initiatives. Together, we explore: The messy overlap between anxiety, ADHD, and executive functioningWhy high achievers often struggle silently—and how to support themHow perfectionism and avoidance show up in both kids and adultsWhat parents can do instead of “snowplowing” obstacles awayAli's perspective is practical, compassionate, and deeply human. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or professional looking for support, you’ll walk away with tools to face hard things and build lasting resilience. 🎧 Tune in and learn why preparing—not protecting—might be the most powerful way to support our kids. Learn more about Ali's work here: https://schroercc.com/ https://www.mentalscopeconsulting.com/

    32 min
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About

Struggling with organization, time management, or focus? Welcome to "Executive Function Skills for All," the podcast dedicated to helping you master executive function skills and achieve your goals. Whether you're a student aiming for better grades, an adult juggling life's demands, a teenager seeking improved focus, or a student-athlete balancing academics and sports, this podcast is for you. We explore practical strategies for improving planning, organization, time management, emotional regulation, and more. Dealing with ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, autism spectrum challenges, or just want to improve without a formal diagnosis? Join us each week as we combine research insights with real-life examples to help you boost productivity, conquer procrastination, and establish strong habits and routines. Featuring expert interviews and inspiring stories, we're here to guide you on your journey to better executive function. Subscribe now and start unlocking your full potential!

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