Strong executive functioning skills can help kids to be resilient, adaptable, and independent. These characteristics are going to be essential for supporting mental health and success going forward. EVERYONE who interacts with school-age kids on a daily basis has the chance to support executive functioning, and not addressing this skill is a huge missed opportunity. Many treatment teams do not adequately address executive functioning, which is why so many clinicians notice their clients struggle with social skills, behavior, and academic skills despite getting therapy. This is not the fault of the school staff.  Often they simply don't have the support or information to put these practices in place.  The good news is that it only takes ONE team member to take the lead and start moving things in the right direction. If you're a therapist supporting kids, that person can be YOU. In episode 101 of “De Facto Leaders” podcast, I share how to make that happen (even if you have a huge caseload and limited time for collaboration). You can be a leader right now, even if it's not in your official job title. The first step to successfully leading your team is “selling” this idea to your district leadership and other team members. That comes back to understanding how impactful executive functioning can be in supporting mental health, academics, relationships, and vocational success beyond the school-age years. In this episode, I mentioned my Executive Functions Implementation guide that shares how school therapists can lead their IEP teams in providing mental health, behavioral, and social skills support for K-12 kids. You can download this free resource here. I also mentioned the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps pediatric clinicians be better leaders, make a bigger impact with their services, and lead their teams in providing executive functioning support for kids at the K-12 level. You can learn more about how to become a member here. 

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