Executive Function at School with Emma Brooksby - Listener Favourite

We're taking a short break over the school holidays, so this week we're revisiting one of our favourite episodes from the archive. Emma Brooksby , Managing Director at U&I Educational Partners, ADHDer, and former school principal, joins Leisa to unpack executive function: the set of skills that let us plan, manage time, switch between tasks, and regulate our emotions. Emma explains why these skills aren't directly taught at school (they develop largely "through osmosis"), and why that creates a hidden, compounding load for young people who experience executive dysfunction - one that can tip into the anxiety and overwhelm at the heart of many School Can't experiences. Emma and Leisa walk through the four big areas where this shows up at school - planning and organisation, task initiation, time management, and emotional regulation, using everyday examples (lost jumpers, forgotten textbooks, the dread of starting homework) to show how quickly small breakdowns escalate into shame, anxiety, and avoidance. They also talk practical strategies: why removing scaffolding too early backfires, how AI tools like Goblin Tools' Magic To Do can break overwhelming tasks into manageable steps, and why "just get started" is rarely as simple as it sounds. **Recommended Resources** - U&I Educational Partners - https://www.uandi.com.au/ - Goblin Tools, Magic To Do - https://goblin.tools/ - Harvard Centre on the Developing Child - https://developingchild.harvard.edu/ - Learning to Plan and be Organised (book) by Kathleen Nadeau  - https://www.amazon.com.au/Learning-Plan-Be-Organized-Executive/dp/1433822172 Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia **If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you**, please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate **If this episode helped you** please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. **If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the** Parent Help Line. **- https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you** You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com **Disclaimer** The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...