Executive Functioning Coach for Teens

Compassionate EF & ADHD Support for Middle & High School Students

Unlock your child's potential with our executive function coaching for teens and ADHD support for middle and high school students. Our tailored services engage both parents and teens, focusing on developing skills such as time management, organization, planning, and study skills. Together, we empower your child to achieve academic success and maintain a balanced life. Let us guide your family towards a brighter and more productive future with our student success coaching.

How We Help

Student Services

Parent Services

OptiMind’s executive function coaches are here to help your student thrive.

Our team of educational consultants is here to provide support to your teen who is struggling with any of the following…

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Time Management

Balancing homework, extracurricular activities, and social life, leading to poor allocation of time and missed deadlines.

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Organization

A messy backpack, room, and workspaces, along with challenges in keeping track of assignments, materials, and school supplies.

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Planning

Difficulty breaking down long-term projects into manageable steps and determining which tasks are most urgent or important.

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Stress Management

Difficulty coping with academic pressures and balancing multiple demands.

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Task Initiation & Completion

Struggles with starting and completing assignments or projects independently, often leaving work unfinished.

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Working Memory

Forgetting important details, such as homework assignments or upcoming tests.

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Impulse Control 

Difficulty resisting distractions like social media, video games, or chatting during study time.

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Focus and Attention

Easily distracted during class lectures or while studying, impacting retention of information.

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Self-Advocacy

Reluctance or difficulty in seeking help from adults or peers when facing academic or personal challenges.

Does your child face any of these challenges?

Our Executive Functioning Coaching Services for Students

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    Goal Setting and Action Planning

    Collaborative goal-setting sessions to establish academic and personal goals, as well as actionable plans to achieve them effectively.

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    Skill-Building Lessons

    Personalized one-on-one lessons with action-oriented strategies focused on developing relevant executive function skills to help your teen meet personal and academic demands.

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    Home and Life Management Strategies

    Coaching to maintain a healthy work-life balance, manage stress, prioritize self-care, and build resilience in the face of academic and personal challenges.

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    Customized Study Strategies

    Tailored strategies and tools to improve efficiency in studying, note-taking, exam preparation, and managing academic deadlines. Guidance is provided in building, refining, and maintaining these strategies to ensure sustained improvement and effectiveness.

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    Digital Organization Tools

    Help with using digital tools and apps for organizing tasks, assignments, and schedules.

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    Assessment and Progress Tracking

    Executive function assessments identify strengths and areas for growth. They are followed by regular progress tracking and strategy adjustments to meet evolving needs.

Our goal is to equip you with the skills and confidence to help your child thrive. With OptiMind's EF & ADHD Parent coaching & support, you can create a nurturing environment that promotes growth and success for your child.

ADHD Parent Coaching: How We Support You

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    Education and Training

    We provide comprehensive education on executive function skills and how they impact your child's daily life. Learn practical techniques to support your child's development and foster their independence.

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    Personalized Guidance

    Receive one-on-one coaching tailored to your family's unique needs. Our experts will work with you to develop customized strategies that address specific challenges your child faces at home and at school and reduce conflicts stemming from executive function challenges. Learn how to implement these strategies consistently to see lasting results.

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    Emotional Support

    Receive personalized support from ADHD and executive functioning coaches who understand your child’s challenges. Find encouragement and guidance, knowing you have a dedicated ally on this journey.

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    Resource Recommendations

    Get recommendations for helpful resources, including books, apps, and tools that can aid in your child's development and make your support efforts more effective.

Meet Sarah Ritter

Founder and Executive Functioning Specialist

Sarah Ritter has close to a decade of experience in special education, serving as a Special Education Teacher, as well as a Learning and Behavior Specialist, prior to becoming an Executive Functioning Specialist. She worked in the public sector for Fairfax and Howard County Public Schools in the private sector for individual clients throughout the DMV, as well as provided her services virtually. Sarah’s boundless enthusiasm captivates her clients, who are a diverse range of learners, to address their unique needs.

Sarah attended graduate school at George Mason University, focusing on Adaptive Curriculum in the School of Special Education. Prior to that, she attended Christopher Newport University, where she earned her undergraduate degree with a major in Organic Biology. The combination of these two diverse educational experiences and Sarah’s passion for each field of study has deeply influenced her approach to working with students with executive functioning challenges.

With OptiMind ES, Sarah’s passion lies in empowering students to understand how their brains function through science. Through science-based strategies and evidence-based tools, she enables students with the skills they need to succeed in all aspects of life.

Join Sarah on a journey of discovery and empowerment as she harnesses the potential of every client.

Helping Students Thrive with Executive Functioning Coaching

  • "The improvement in their executive functioning skills has been significant."

    Sarah is excellent! She has been working with our twins starting with the 2024-2025 school year. The improvement in their executive functioning skills has been significant. Most important, the growth in their overall confidence is amazing. We had really been struggling to find help for our twins with the executive function skills needed to be successful in a challenging and competitive school environment. In addition to her work with our children, Sarah has been wonderful in providing my husband and I guidance on how to understand the challenges of executive function disorder, how to best support our children and how to advocate for them at school, including when to not step in. We would be lost without her!

    - Gina DeStefano

  • "I am so grateful for the confidence my daughter has gained in social settings since working with Sarah."

    Sarah provided me the guidance I needed to support my child. We are now able to focus on strategies to help with maintaining attention and effective ways to regulate emotions to reach our goals. I am so grateful for the confidence my daughter has gained in social settings since working with Sarah.

    - Tayler Hemstetter

  • "My daughter has a newfound sense of confidence in her academic skills."

    My daughter has been seeing Sarah for a year now and our experience has been nothing short of incredible. She has been so supportive in helping my daughter prepare for the independence of going off to college and her transformation since starting her EF services has been life changing. My daughter has a newfound sense of confidence in her academic skills and has been able to start taking more control of her own schedule and responsibilities in ways I wasn't sure I would see for a long time. I am more confident than ever in my daughter's ability to thrive in college and beyond thanks to Sarah's expertise.

    - Shari

  • "My son has made remarkable progress in organization, time management, and massively improved his grades in school."

    I can’t thank Sarah at OptiMind ES enough for the incredible support she has provided our family. Her expertise in enhancing executive function skills has truly transformed our child’s life. Thanks to her guidance, my son has made remarkable progress in organization, time management, and massively improved his grades in school. Sarah’s dedication, professionalism, and genuine care has been invaluable to us. I can’t recommend OptiMind enough to any family seeking expert assistance in supporting their child’s executive functioning skills.

    - Christian Schou

Does your teen need support with executive function skills?

Book a FREE consultation today!

Frequently Asked Questions About Executive Function Coaching for Teens

  • Executive function coaching for teens is a personalized approach that helps middle and high school students strengthen essential skills like organization, time management, planning, task initiation, impulse control, and working memory. At OptiMind, we understand that every student’s brain works differently, so we tailor our strategies to their unique learning style while using techniques that tap into the brain’s ability to adapt and grow. Our goal is to equip your teen with practical tools and habits that boost focus, improve academic performance, and make daily responsibilities more manageable at school, at home, and in life.

  • Our services are available exclusively through virtual sessions conducted remotely via Zoom. 

  • Coaching sessions are scheduled twice a week, each session lasting 50 minutes. 

  • Yes. Executive function coaching for teens is especially effective for students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences. At OptiMind, we provide personalized, one-on-one support to help teens manage challenges like staying organized, focusing in class, and completing assignments on time. By teaching practical, brain-based strategies, we help students build the executive functioning skills they need to thrive academically and feel more confident in their daily lives.

  • Executive function coaching complements other treatments such as therapy, educational interventions, and medication management. Coaches work collaboratively with therapists, educators, and healthcare providers to ensure holistic support and alignment of goals.

  • Executive function coaching for teens focuses on building practical skills like organization, time management, planning, and study strategies that help students manage their schoolwork and daily responsibilities more effectively. It’s goal-oriented, action-focused, and designed to create immediate, usable solutions for academic and home life. Therapy, on the other hand, addresses deeper emotional, behavioral, or mental health concerns through therapeutic techniques. While both can be valuable, coaching equips your teen with the tools and systems they need to succeed in the present and develop lifelong habits for success.

  • The duration of executive function coaching varies based on the intensity of the client's issues. Long-term progress often takes about a year, although many clients choose to continue for extended periods to further enhance skills and maintain growth.

  • Unfortunately, executive function coaching is not typically covered by most insurance companies at this time. Clients may need to seek alternative payment methods for these services.

  • Yes! At OptiMind, we believe parent involvement is key to a teen’s success. Alongside our student sessions, we offer parent coaching to help you understand executive functioning, reduce daily conflicts, and create a home environment that promotes independence and growth. We provide practical techniques, personalized guidance, and ongoing support so you can confidently reinforce the skills your teen is building in coaching.