Behind the Scenes of Real-World Readiness

Several years ago, I started working with a student whose grades were mostly D’s. He had a high number of missing assignments, and his executive function challenges—especially with working memory along with his processing speed—made completing academic work incredibly difficult.

We met three times a week for four years. It wasn’t always easy, and the progress wasn’t immediate. But by the time he graduated from high school, he was thriving—enrolled in three AP classes and earning A’s.

Then came college… and COVID. Like many students during that time, his first semester was spent at home. That transition was hard enough under normal circumstances, but for students with executive function delays, it was especially tough. His parents mentioned, “He’s 18 now, so we’re going to treat him like an 18-year-old.”

I gently reminded them that, developmentally, his executive function skills were likely closer to age 15. And then, I didn’t hear from them for several years.

Earlier this month, we hosted a workshop all about this kind of real-world readiness—what it looks like to support students as they step into independence.

If you missed it, you can still watch the replay and get the Real-World Readiness Toolkit in our brand-new online shop.

The toolkit includes:
• A 28-page coaching guide full of prompts, reflections, and planning tools
• An executive function checklist by track and timeline (college, workforce, gap year)
• A high school-to-college readiness skills checklist
• Real student scenarios with guided coaching breakdowns

Whether you’re a coach, educator, or parent, these tools are designed to help students build skills like:

• Time management

• Self-advocacy

• Planning and follow-through

• Navigating responsibilities independently

You can get the workshop recording and toolkit here 

Just last week, I received a call from that student’s mom. And I couldn’t have been happier to hear that he’s now living completely independently—in his own apartment, working full-time, supporting himself financially, and planning to return to college on his own timeline.

He didn’t follow the traditional path. But he’s succeeding—and thriving.

And yes, his mom said,
“Coaching was expensive, but it was worth every dime.”

Grab the toolkit and workshop replay now—because the skills we build today are the ones that carry students into tomorrow.