Executive Function Skills Your Teens Need
Before Graduating from High School
(And What Parents Can Do to Help Facilitate)
Mary Murphy, PhD
Monday
December 8, 2025
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Wilton Library
137 Old Ridgefield Road
Wilton
As parents, we all want our teens to leave high school feeling confident and ready for what comes next. One of the biggest predictors of success in college and beyond isn’t just grades – it’s executive function (EF) skills. These “mental management” skills help students stay organized, manage time, follow through on tasks, regulate emotions, and adapt when plans change.
Having trouble with EF skills is extremely common in adolescents, both for typical learners and for those who think and learn differently. A teen can struggle with EF skills even without a formal diagnosis of a learning disability or ADHD. In addition, everyone with ADHD has EF difficulties and most students with other learning challenges also struggle in these areas.
Research shows that college students with EF challenges experience substantial academic and social-emotional difficulties throughout their college years. The good news is that teens who have a strong foundation in executive functioning are better prepared to handle the independence and demands of college life. These are highly teachable skills and there is a lot that parents can do (and learn not to do) to help strengthen these skills.
In this presentation, Mary Murphy, PhD, will share which executive function skills are most important for your teen to develop before graduation and practical ways you can support them in building strategies that will set them up for success. From the perspective of a clinical psychologist and college professor, Dr. Murphy will share real world examples of the EF skills students need to be successful in both college and future careers.
View the Presentation Slides
More About Mary Murphy
Presented by SPED*NET in partnership with
Wilton Library, Wilton Public Schools, Wilton Youth Council,
Easton CT SEPTA and Newtown Sped PTA
SPED*NET does not provide medical or psychological
advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material in this
presentation is provided for educational purposes only.
Executive Function Skills Your Teens Need
Before Graduating from High School
(And What Parents Can Do to Help Facilitate)
Mary Murphy, PhD
Monday
December 8, 2025
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Wilton Library
137 Old Ridgefield Road
Wilton
As parents, we all want our teens to leave high school feeling confident and ready for what comes next. One of the biggest predictors of success in college and beyond isn’t just grades – it’s executive function (EF) skills. These “mental management” skills help students stay organized, manage time, follow through on tasks, regulate emotions, and adapt when plans change.
Having trouble with EF skills is extremely common in adolescents, both for typical learners and for those who think and learn differently. A teen can struggle with EF skills even without a formal diagnosis of a learning disability or ADHD. In addition, everyone with ADHD has EF difficulties and most students with other learning challenges also struggle in these areas.
Research shows that college students with EF challenges experience substantial academic and social-emotional difficulties throughout their college years. The good news is that teens who have a strong foundation in executive functioning are better prepared to handle the independence and demands of college life. These are highly teachable skills and there is a lot that parents can do (and learn not to do) to help strengthen these skills.
In this presentation, Mary Murphy, PhD, will share which executive function skills are most important for your teen to develop before graduation and practical ways you can support them in building strategies that will set them up for success. From the perspective of a clinical psychologist and college professor, Dr. Murphy will share real world examples of the EF skills students need to be successful in both college and future careers.
View the Presentation Slides
More About Mary Murphy
Presented by SPED*NET in partnership with
Wilton Library, Wilton Public Schools, Wilton Youth Council, Easton CT SEPTA and Newtown Sped PTA
SPED*NET does not provide medical or psychological
advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material in this
presentation is provided for educational purposes only.
Executive Function Skills
Your Teens Need Before
Graduating from H.S.
(And What Parents Can
Do to Help Facilitate)
Mary Murphy, PhD
Monday
December 8, 2025
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Wilton Library
137 Old Ridgefield Road
Wilton
As parents, we all want our teens to leave high school feeling confident and ready for what comes next. One of the biggest predictors of success in college and beyond isn’t just grades – it’s executive function (EF) skills. These “mental management” skills help students stay organized, manage time, follow through on tasks, regulate emotions, and adapt when plans change.
Having trouble with EF skills is extremely common in adolescents, both for typical learners and for those who think and learn differently. A teen can struggle with EF skills even without a formal diagnosis of a learning disability or ADHD. In addition, everyone with ADHD has EF difficulties and most students with other learning challenges also struggle in these areas.
Research shows that college students with EF challenges experience substantial academic and social-emotional difficulties throughout their college years. The good news is that teens who have a strong foundation in executive functioning are better prepared to handle the independence and demands of college life. These are highly teachable skills and there is a lot that parents can do (and learn not to do) to help strengthen these skills.
In this presentation, Mary Murphy, PhD, will share which executive function skills are most important for your teen to develop before graduation and practical ways you can support them in building strategies that will set them up for success. From the perspective of a clinical psychologist and college professor, Dr. Murphy will share real world examples of the EF skills students need to be successful in both college and future careers.
View the Presentation Slides
More About Mary Murphy
Presented by SPED*NET in partnership with
Wilton Library, Wilton Public Schools, Wilton Youth Council, Easton CT SEPTA and Newtown Sped PTA
SPED*NET does not provide medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material in this presentation is provided for educational purposes only.