De Facto Leaders

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Smith from GrowNOW ADHD, to explore innovative approaches to social skills and executive functioning through the lens of a community-based program: Executive Functioning Summer Camp. Eric shares his insights on challenging existing service delivery models and discusses the importance of practical, real-world applications for clients.Eric is a Speech-Language Pathologist, ADHD/Executive Functioning Specialist, and Director GrowNOW ADHD's EF Camp with over 7 years of experience in the field. He has worked in a variety of settings including Private Practice, Early Intervention, and Schools.Key Discussion Points:What are the benefits and limitations of a traditional therapy model and how can we expand the way we do intervention to improve generalization? • How the summer camp model facilitates real-world connections.• How much structure and support should adults be providing, and when does it make sense to use a “lesson plan”? • The concepts of “healthy risk” and “healthy discomfort”.• Why it's crucial to incorporate diverse experiences to better prepare our clients for adult life AND to help clinicians stay engaged in their work.• Using the explicit instruction framework (“I do, We do, You do”) to mentor clinicians and coach parents. You can learn more about GrowNOW Executive Functioning Summer Camp here: https://www.grownowadhd.com/adhd-kids-summer-camp/Connect with Eric at: eric@grownowadhd.comPast episode mentioned in this episode:Failure to launch, screen addiction, and preparing kids for life after high school (with Michael McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-207-failure-to-launch-screen-addiction-and-preparing-kids-for-life-after-high-school-with-michael-mcleod/Building accountability, and motivation in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-008-building-accountability-and-motivation-in-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/Time management and device use boundaries for kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-009-time-management-and-device-use-boundaries-for-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/In this episode, I mentioned “The School Leader’s Guide to Executive Functioning Support”, a 7-day course to help school leaders launch their executive functioning implementation plan. You can learn more about the course here: https://drkarenspeech.lpages.co/school-leaders-guide-to-executive-functioning-support/ We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Ana Hernandez, a speech pathologist who found herself on the other side of the therapy room after undergoing brain surgery. Ana shares her deeply personal journey through the road of recovery.As someone who has spent her career helping others communicate, Ana opens up about what it was like to struggle with communication herself. She discusses the emotional and physical challenges she faced, the strategies that aided her recovery, and how her experience has changed her approach to her work.Ana Hernandez is a speech-language pathologist, founder of Adult Stuttering Services, P.C., and the creator of Green Social and the Safe Spaces of Stuttering approach. She collaborates with leading stuttering organizations, speaks at international conferences, and provides professional training for schools and businesses. Ana’s focus in stuttering support is to foster comfort with speaking and empower people who stutter with care that prioritizes quality and dignity.In This Episode, We Cover:• The unexpected diagnosis that led to brain surgery• The impact of surgery on her speech, cognition, and emotions• Key milestones and setbacks throughout her recovery journey• Practical tips for self-advocacy• How this experience has reshaped her perspective as a therapistWhy Listen?This episode is a testament to resilience, empathy, and the power of communication. Whether you or a loved one are navigating recovery from brain injury, or you simply want to hear an inspiring story of perseverance, this conversation will leave you feeling encouraged and empowered.You can connect with Ana on her Adult Stuttering website here: https://www.adultstuttering.com/therapistOn Instagram here @adultstuttering (https://www.instagram.com/adultstuttering/)On LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-hernandez-015b69293/Finally, I also mentioned my free Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams. You can sign up for the guide here: http://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

This week, I’m sharing an interview I did with another host on the BE podcast network because I think it’s something you’ll really enjoy. The episode is going live in the De Facto Leaders podcast feed. Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from 8th – 11th grade working in an urban setting. A portion of this was spent opening a high school division for an expanding charter school. He has just finished his 14th year as a building administrator. Chris is also the Vice President of the Massachusetts State Administrators Association (MSAA). True to his “why” of improving the educational experience for as many people as possible, he is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts.He is the author of SEEing to Lead, a book that provides strategies for how modern leaders can and must support, engage, and empower their teachers to elevate student success. Chris vlogs weekly about continuous improvement and is also the host of the podcast SEEing to Lead as a way to amplify teachers’ voices in an effort to improve education as a whole.In this interview, Dr. Chris Jones and I discuss how to promote effective literacy practices in schools, while still allowing educators and clinicians to have autonomy in their practices. We discuss:The “non-negotiables” when it comes to evidence-based practices vs. where there can be flexibility for the “art” of teaching.Why training and information needs to be paired with change-management strategies.Finding the “joy” of reading can’t happen without building foundational skills.You can connect with Dr. Jones on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcsjones/, and on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DrCSJones/, and on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/drcsjones/.  You can learn more about his book and podcast at: https://drcsjones.blog/seeing-to-lead-podcast/In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In light of the mass amount of misinformation about ADHD, particularly regarding medication, I thought it was time to do a re-release of this past episode.*Disclaimer, although I have “Dr.” in front of my name, I’m not an MD and do not have the credentials to prescribe medication. This episode is meant for general information only and is not intended to be medical advice. As a licensed speech pathologist, I bring the perspective of someone who has supported clients through behavioral change and building skills; which has included making referrals/recommendations for families to seek medical advice from people who can prescribe medication. Additionally, I’ve also been in a position to report back to licensed physicians when they want to know a status update after prescribing medication.In this episode, I discuss:✅The “appeal to nature” fallacy, what it is and why it’s potentially harmful.✅Common “natural” treatments for conditions like ADHD (such as diet, sleep hygiene, supplementation)✅How to avoid distorted thinking when making decisions about medication and other treatment options.In this episode, I mentioned this episode about homeopathy from the Unbiased Science podcast here: https://www.unbiasedscipod.com/episodes/homeopathy-much-ado-about-nothing-literally-nothingI also mentioned the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer here: https://www.jonkrakauer.com/books/into-the-wild-trFinally, I also mentioned my free Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams. You can sign up for the guide here: http://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

I remember the first time I “Marie Kondoed” my therapy room and got rid of materials that were published before I was born. There were shelves of things I never used, and having so many options created unnecessary decision fatigue every time I sat down to plan my week ahead. Over time, I started investing in knowledge instead of flashcards and games. I found my students did better when I kept it simple. I thought my students would be bored, but they actually became more engaged and independent. That’s why I was so excited to talk with Marisha Mets from SLP Now, who shares my passion for systems and frameworks that don’t require complicated materials. Marisha Mets earned her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Washington. She has worked as a school-based SLP and shares therapy ideas and resources on her blog (SLP Now). Marisha also developed a membership for SLPs that includes digital tools and resources to streamline evidence-based therapy, including a one-stop caseload management solution that currently supports thousands of SLPs. In this conversation, we discuss:✅How to manage both physical clutter and mental clutter.✅Identifying the point of diminishing returns when it comes to organizing.✅Deciding when to use a batching process vs. habit stacking. ✅Defining the “containers” you use to manage your workflow and your workspace.✅How to identify your “staples”.✅Investing in materials vs. knowledge/skills. You can connect with Marisha on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisha-mets-9aa396133/Follow her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/slpnowFollow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/slpnow/ Listen to my episode on the SLP Now Podcast here: https://slpnow.com/blog/how-to-write-iep-goals-an-expert-guide-for-slps/Learn more about SLP Now and read Marisha’s free blog posts here: https://slpnow.com/The following resources were mentioned in this episode:“Outer Order, Inner Calm” by Gretchen Rubin: https://gretchenrubin.com/books/outer-order-inner-calm/“Atomic Habits” by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsIn this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode, we dive into the often-overlooked art of writing clear, measurable goals for executive functioning. Unlike other academic or functional goals, executive functioning focuses on internal processes—making it harder to quantify and observe. Whether you're a teacher, therapist, or part of a school team, this episode will give you actionable tools to create meaningful IEP and therapy plan goals that truly support student growth.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ Why executive functioning is all about the process—and why that’s tricky for traditional SMART goals.✔️ Examples of goal formats that keep things simple, specific, and actionable.✔️ How to differentiate between goals that focus on behavior versus those emphasizing strategies.✔️ A sample list of accommodations to support executive functioning without over-accommodating.✔️ Tips to ensure students build independence with their accommodations over time.📝Goals and Accommodations for Executive Functioning Blog post: https://drkarenspeech.com/goals-and-accommodations-for-executive-functioning/👂EP 178: Are we allowed to say “dyslexia” in the schools (with Tom Parton): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-178-are-we-allowed-to-say-dyslexia-in-the-schools-with-tom-parton/🎓 School of Clinical Leadership Program (A comprehensive course for service providers who want to lead their teams in supporting students socially, emotionally, and academically.): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadershipKey Takeaways:Writing effective executive functioning goals starts with a clear understanding of the behaviors and processes you’re targeting.The goal format “Given (cue/strategy), student will (behavior) with (accuracy/unit of measurement)” simplifies complex ideas into meaningful goals.Accommodations should empower students and build skills—not create over-reliance. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

This session is a Q & A I did in the Language Therapy Advance Foundations member’s group relating to how to support students through semantic study and working on complex syntax. I addressed the following FAQs:“How do I help students who struggle to define and describe words without making them prompt-dependent?”“How do I make semantic study more contextualized?”“What’s the difference between a “task-based” goal and a “strategy-based” goal, and which type of goal should I be using for language and executive functioning?”I also provide examples of goals for observable behaviors vs. goals that focus on the process of getting to that behavior or end output. Highlights of this session include:✅Using the explicit instruction framework: “I do, we do, you do.”✅Using pauses, reflective questions, sentence starters, direct repetition, and declarative statements (hint: we should be using a blend of all these things.)✅Where we SHOULD use explicit, repetitive, “decontextualized” tasks in therapy for purposes of cognitive priming. ✅Why students need a blend of structured and unstructured tasks (from decontextualized to contextualized). This session came from a Q & A I did in Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ The following resources were mentioned in this session:The Explicit Instruction Framework by Anita Archer and Charles Hughes: https://explicitinstruction.org/This video on scaffolding sentence combining for younger students: https://youtu.be/LDLYlZgqpQUThe strategy-based goals for executive functioning came from information from the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers put executive functioning intervention in place. You can learn more about the School of Clinical Leadership here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Having someone observe your therapy room or classroom can feel awkward; whether it’s your boss doing your evaluation, or whether it’s a special service provider who’s supporting students in your class.When I’ve talked with administrators and service providers about classroom observations, they say it can be a learning curve for the person coming into the classroom as well. Yet having another set of eyes on your students can often be a valuable learning experience for both the person observing and the person being observed. That’s why I invited John Mihalyo to the De Facto Leaders Podcast to talk about how school leaders can turn observations into meaningful learning experiences instead of an obligation. We also talk about what it takes to start new programs and initiatives, and how to take a proactive approach when it comes to marketing and communication. John Mihalyo is a highly accomplished education professional and the visionary founder of Elementary Advancement Solutions, a leading educational consulting company dedicated to empowering Catholic and faith-based school leaders. With a robust background encompassing over two decades of experience as an administrator and 15 years as a Catholic school principal, John Mihalyo has honed his expertise in addressing the multifaceted challenges encountered by educational leaders. John is also the host of the Catholic School Leaders podcast on the BE podcast network. In this conversation, we discuss:✅Why good school leaders visit classrooms before the official employee evaluation.✅Why starting a new program in a school can be a 3-year process (or more).✅The importance of marketing and communication (for both staff and community). ✅The difference between running public, private, and faith-based schools. You can listen to my interview on the Catholic School Leaders Podcast here: Navigating Executive Functioning to Support Student Growth with Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan (Link here: https://cslp.bepodcast.network/episodes/navigating-executive-functioning-to-support-student-growth-with-dr-karen-dudek-brannan)Connect with John on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmihalyo/Listen to the Catholic School Leaders Podcast here: https://cslp.bepodcast.network/Learn more about Elementary Advancement Solutions here: https://elementaryadvancement.com/In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership  We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Many young adults enter their post-high school years without the executive functioning skills needed to thrive. This is often because the people supporting them underestimate the amount of support they’re getting, and there’s no plan in place to fade that prompting. When young adults enter college, they have to manage sleep hygiene, long-term projects, and manage screen time. This is why I talk so much about using multiple service delivery models when supporting executive functioning; whether it be in the schools or in private practice; because many essential life skills cannot be taught without the right environmental scaffolding in place.  That’s why I invited Michael McLeod from GrowNOW therapy to talk about why he uses a combination of direct sessions, summer camps with community-based activities, parent coaching, and educator training. Michael partnered and worked with The Focus Foundation in 2015, learning from incredible doctors, neuropsychologists, and various specialists – gaining in-depth training and experience with ADHD and Executive Function research and development. He currently specializes in ADHD, Executive Functioning, Social Executive Functioning, and Parent Coaching. From his experiences as an Executive Function Specialist, Michael developed a distinct model of Internal Skills Coaching to enhance these skills. Michael is a Keynote Speaker and has presented nationwide and internationally, training families and professionals on his unique GrowNOW Treatment Model for fostering Executive Functions & Resiliency.In this conversation, we discuss:✅Do graduate programs prepare clinicians to work on executive functioning out in the field?✅Frontloading vs. traditional social skills sessions.✅Why helping families set boundaries around screen time is an essential part of the services clinicians offer.✅Defining failure to launch and what it looks like in young adults.✅Situational awareness and its impact on safety for college students. You can connect with Michael at:GrowNOWADHD.com, here: http://grownowadhd.com/GrowNOW Instagram, here: http://instagram.com/GrowNOWADHDGrowNOW School Trainings, here: https://www.grownowadhd.com/training/ADHD Parenting Podcast, here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xATyVhNZU3abIejNIggvDListen to my previous conversations with Michael here:EP 008: Building accountability and motivation in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-008-building-accountability-and-motivation-in-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/EP 009: Time management and device use boundaries in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-009-time-management-and-device-use-boundaries-for-kids-with-adhd-with-mike-mcleod/The following previous episodes were mentioned in this episode:EP 122: Executive functioning for college students: Beyond checklists and planners (with Jill Fahy), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-122-executive-functioning-for-college-students-beyond-checklists-and-planners-with-jill-fahy/EP 193: Using Distance Learning to Increase Access and Opportunity (with Seth Fleischauer), here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-193-using-distance-learning-to-increase-access-and-opportunity-with-seth-fleischauer/In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

For episode 206 of De Facto Leaders, I share a Q & A session where I discuss Reading Recovery and cueing strategies for decoding, and I make some recommendations for additional information that will give you more information on this topic.I also share what you can do if you're in a district that uses Fountas and Pinnell reading levels, which often don't give detailed or consistent information about a kid's language skills. You’ll also hear commentary on the Matthew Effect and vocabulary development. Finally, I discuss the role of executive dysfunction and mental health, a guide I created that dives into this topic further, and what clinicians can do to support executive functioning in schools.This Q & A session was done in the member’s group for Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs build a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapyAdditional resources mentioned in this episode:You can find Angie Neal’s Presentation on Speechpathology.com about using a collaborative approach to language and literacy here (you need a paid subscription to access): https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/language-and-literacy-collaborative-approach-9342You can listen to Sold a Story here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sold-a-story/id1649580473You can download the Executive Functioning Implementation Guide here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.