Staying organized, managing time, and keeping up with school demands doesn’t come easily for every child. With the right strategies and support, these skills can be learned and strengthened over time.

What are executive functioning skills?

Executive functioning skills are the mental processes that help children plan, stay organized, manage time, and complete tasks.

These skills help children:

• Start and finish tasks

• Stay organized with schoolwork and materials

• Follow multi-step directions

• Manage time and deadlines

• Stay focused and shift attention when needed

Signs your child may need support

• Difficulty getting started on tasks

• Trouble staying organized (backpack, desk, assignments)

• Frequently forgetting materials or instructions

• Struggles with multi-step directions

• Trouble managing time or completing work independently

• Feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork

• Avoiding tasks that require planning or effort

What speech therapy looks like

• Teaching strategies for planning and organization

• Breaking tasks into manageable steps

• Using visual supports, schedules, and checklists

• Building time management and task initiation skills

• Practicing how to organize thoughts for speaking and writing

• Supporting independence and confidence in school tasks

When to reach out

• Ongoing struggles with organization and schoolwork

• Difficulty completing tasks independently

• Concerns from teachers about attention or follow-through

• Your child feels overwhelmed or frustrated

👉 Support can help children build independence and confidence.

Serving families in Portland, Oregon

Speech therapy services for school-age children and teens in Portland and surrounding areas.