Executive Function Isn't Just Starting — It's Finishing, Too | Sarah Ward

In this episode, Gretchen talks with Sarah Ward — speech-language pathologist and Co-Director of Cognitive Connections — about why task completion is its own executive function skill, separate from starting. Gretchen opens up about her own struggle to finish things (yes, including a song she wrote herself about it), and Sarah brings decades of clinical experience into genuinely tiny, doable tweaks for classroom teachers, coaches, and tutors alike. They cover why students insist they're "done" when they're not, a simple reframe for procrastination, and why this year's college freshmen are struggling in ways past cohorts haven't. If you work with students who swear they're finished when they're not, this one's for you.You'll Hear Us Talk About"Mind miming" — a mental simulation trick that helps students actually finish what they startWhy so many students insist they're done with something... when they're notA simple reframe for procrastination — Sarah's "hesitator" vs. "procrastinator" distinctionThe "job talk" trick that gives any task a real finish lineWhy this year's college freshmen are struggling with executive demands in new waysSarah's favorite definition of emotional regulation — the ability to tolerate discomfortAbout Sarah WardSarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist and Co-Director of Cognitive Connections, LLP, where she has spent over 30 years working in diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and case management for children, adolescents, and adults with developmental and acquired brain-based learning challenges, with a particular focus on executive function. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions and co-developed the 360 Thinking™ Executive Function Program with Kristen Jacobsen, which received the Innovative Promising Practices Award from CHADD. Find her at efpractice.com.Links + ResourcesSarah's website: https://efpractice.comLearn More About the Anti-Boring Learning LabDownload our free Toolkit: https://antiboringlearninglab.com/resourcesConnect with Gretchen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-wegnerWatch the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/IWsmawTJ9jc