15 Strategies for Supporting Executive Function

“Oh, and you’re doing it live, right? Overwhelm, underachievement, time management, motivation — I feel like this is my life.”

He talks about all of those things, which are connected to executive functioning, and you’ll learn more about that tonight. He also blogs for a community of over 25,000 families worldwide at SethPerler.com.

So I’m just so excited because I’ve got my notebook ready, and I’ll definitely be taking notes tonight. I’ll also be sharing a lot of information with the families in my district and community.

So, Seth, I’m going to turn it over to you. Feel free to share away.

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“Awesome. Well, thanks for introducing me. I’m glad to be here, everybody.

My name is Seth Perler, as you know. I’m just getting my notes set up here… okay, cool. So I can see the chat. I’m not going to watch the chat the whole time, but I will check it later. Just so you guys know, if you type something in the chat, I’ll look at it afterward.

I’ve got my notes open now, and I can finally see both my notes and all of you. Okay, there we go.

Thank you for having me. I’m excited to be here. I’m a little off today — a bit tired. I kind of hit a wall earlier. So if I seem slightly off, that’s why. But I’m still going to give you everything I have.

I’m doing what I love right now, and I love talking about kids — gifted kids, kids who struggle with executive function. That’s my favorite topic because there are things we can do to help.

Okay, I think I can finally see my notes. Sorry, everyone — bear with me while I get my setup working properly.

Alright, there we go.

The gist of what I’m doing tonight is this: I’m going to spend about 20–30 minutes teaching, and then we’ll open it up for Q&A.

I’m going to talk fast. I’m going to say a lot. This session is being recorded — I’m recording it on my end, and Cactus is recording it as well — so you’ll be able to watch it again later.

But yes, I am going to move pretty quickly.

If you’re taking notes, I’ll try to keep that in mind and tell you what I think is important to write down.

I’m going to start with some key vocabulary, models, and concepts, and then I’ll move into strategies. I have 15 strategies that I’m going to go through pretty quickly, but I think by the end of this, you’ll find it really helpful.

So let’s start with some vocabulary.

Again, my name is Seth Perler. I have a website called SethPerler.com, and another one called ExecutiveFunctionSummit.com. I’ll mention both of those later and show them to you.

I really, really, really enjoy working with gifted kids.

The first definition I want to go over is the definition of “giftedness.”

There are a lot of misconceptions about giftedness because sometimes it’s perceived as elitist, and it absolutely is not. Now, have there been elitist approaches to gifted education? Yes. But is the literal definition of giftedness elitist? No.

There are many definitions — legal definitions, definitions by experts, and the federal definition that schools often use. But what I really want you to think about with your gifted child is this:

Put aside the elitism issue and think about how your child has needs that are not being met in a typical classroom.

They may have gifts, talents, or abilities in certain domains — not necessarily every domain — but they have strengths that aren’t being addressed in the standard classroom setting. In order for those students to receive the education they truly deserve, they legitimately need something different.

That’s how I’m defining giftedness here.

Next to that is the term “2e” or “twice exceptional.”

Typically, this refers to a student who is gifted and talented on one hand. If we use the old bell curve model — which I personally have issues with, but for the sake of this conversation — gifted students would be on one end of the curve with these strengths and talents.

But a 2e student also has challenges, disabilities, or struggles on the other end. So they may need accelerated or advanced curriculum in certain areas while also needing support in areas where they have legitimate struggles or learning disabilities.

The term “twice exceptional” refers to those two exceptionalities.

But honestly, a more realistic term is “multi-exceptionalities,” because many neurodiverse kids have more than just two things going on.

That brings me to my next term: neurodiversity.

I don’t want you to get stuck asking whether your child is 2e, 3e, or 4e. Labels are helpful to a point, but what’s really important is understanding how a person is neurodiverse across different domains.

And there are so many domains that matter — not just the ones schools measure.

Another important word is “asynchronous.”

Gifted kids and 2e kids tend to develop asynchronously. We often think in terms of developmental norms — for example, that a third grader should typically be learning multiplication tables.

But these kids may be extremely advanced in one area, significantly behind in another, and average in a third area. Their brains develop unevenly.

This makes standardization and cookie-cutter education very problematic.

Which brings me to another term: differentiation.

Brilliant teachers differentiate instruction for all students, regardless of ability levels. Differentiation means adapting the curriculum to meet different students’ needs.

Textbooks and standardized curriculum often aren’t truly differentiated, even if they claim to be. It takes a skilled teacher to differentiate well.

So, if you’re taking notes, here are the terms we’ve covered so far:

* Giftedness
* 2e / twice exceptional
* Multi-exceptionalities
* Neurodiversity
* Asynchrony
* Differentiation

Now I want to move on to something called the Polyvagal Ladder, or Polyvagal Theory.

Don’t worry about spelling it correctly — Google will figure it out.

Polyvagal Theory and the vagus nerve are fascinating because they explain how our nervous systems co-regulate and attune to one another.

You might be thinking, “Why is he talking about the nervous system in a discussion about education and giftedness?”

Because it’s everything.

Brilliant teachers — and parents who become more skilled — are often very good at attunement and co-regulation.

That means they’re not just dealing with academics like math or science. They’re also dealing with the nervous system.

Our nervous systems are constantly responding to one another.

This is especially important in my work because students with executive function struggles often experience resistance. They resist help from parents, teachers, or even themselves.

They resist starting tasks, using planners, getting organized, cleaning their rooms, asking for help — all of it.

This resistance is happening at the nervous-system level first.

The brain perceives certain tasks as threats or sources of discomfort, and then the prefrontal cortex — where executive function happens — starts to go offline. The amygdala activates, adrenaline kicks in, and the body prepares for fight, flight, or freeze.

When students are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally dysregulated, executive function becomes much harder.

That’s why understanding the nervous system matters so much.

Many students’ nervous systems are “running hot.” They’re constantly on edge, experiencing intense emotions that interfere with executive functioning.

If we ignore that, we’re missing something critical.

That leads into Attachment Theory.

Great teachers create safe classrooms. That sounds simple, but what it really means is that students’ nervous systems feel safe there.

Attachment Theory is about secure relationships — feeling seen, heard, known, and understood.

Think about your closest friend. You probably feel understood by them. That’s secure attachment.

Great teachers have a gift for making students feel important, seen, and valued.

Parents can also learn how to build more secure attachment with their children.

The more we understand attachment theory, polyvagal theory, co-regulation, and attunement, the better we can help kids regulate their nervous systems — and the more able they are to access their learning brains.

I also want to briefly mention somatics, somatic experiencing, EMDR, and brainspotting. These are therapies connected to nervous-system regulation.

The reason all of this matters is because of executive function.

We want our kids to have good lives, good futures, and healthy, meaningful experiences.

Executive function is about executing — getting things done.

When kids struggle to execute important tasks like homework, studying, self-care, organization, and responsibilities, we worry about what happens later in life.

Because if they can learn to prioritize, manage time, organize, self-start, and follow through — even imperfectly — they can build a strong future for themselves.

And if they can’t, we worry, because we’ve all seen adults who struggle deeply with those skills and feel stuck in life.

So those are the foundational concepts I wanted to cover before moving into strategies.”