THE MISSION
About 11% of the population is born with an ADHD brain, and by and large, these people are our inventors, adventurers, business owners, envelope pushers, artists, and devoted friends.
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But the energetic and creative superpowers of ADHD make living life inside the lines hard.
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Without the proper support, school, work, home life, and relationships can feel like zones of failure instead of places to shine. Without the proper support, we leave those with ADHD with an untapped and often dampened store of magic and potential--leading lives that are harder and far less full than they are destined to be.
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That's why I'm so passionate about this work. It's my mission to empower people and families with ADHD to take charge of their lives and their future so that they can step fully into their strengths and share their light with the world.
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This is life-changing work. This is EMPOWERMENT EDU.
THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS
Executive functioning skills are the brain functions we use to manage
our ATTENTION, our EMOTIONS, & our BEHAVIOR as we pursue our GOALS.
These are the skills most impacted by ADHD.
They are divided into 2 categories:
Metacognitive (Thinking) Skills & Social-Emotional Skills
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THE METACOGNITIVE SKILLS
Time Management
Estimating how much time you have, how you should spend your time, and how to turn things in & do things on time.
Planning & Strategizing
The ability to create a
roadmap to reach a goal or
complete a task.
Organization
Creating and sticking with systems to keep track of important information & belongings.
Sustained Attention
Sticking with one focus even when there are other things competing for our attention & even when we're bored.
Self-Monitoring
Thinking about your own thinking, and using self-talk to control your behavior.
Task Initiation
Starting chores, homework, schoolwork, and tasks without undue procrastination.
Working Memory
The mental workspace where we keep and manipulate info like thoughts, ideas, facts, & directions.
Goal Setting
Identifying what you want, deciding what steps you need to take to get it, and carrying out those steps.
Task-Persistence
Following through on a goal without getting sidetracked and without quitting
when it gets hard.
THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS
Impulse Control
Being able to think before we act. Not doing or saying things that are hurtful just because we think of them.
Emotional Control
The ability to understand, accept, and manage our emotions and to respond to them in an appropriate way.
Flexibility
The ability to revise our plans when we hit an obstacle or when something doesn't go the way we thought it would.
Stress Tolerance
The ability to deal with and navigate stressful situations, pressure, and changes.
WHY TEACHING
EXECUTIVE SKILLS MATTERS
PILLS DON'T TEACH SKILLS.
Medication is often an essential component of ADHD treatment.
At the proper dosage, medication can have a tremendous impact on:
impulse control, task initiation, and sustained attention.
But what about the rest of the skills?
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A FULL ADHD
TREATMENT PACKAGE INCLUDES:
01
Diagnosis
A full and proper evaluation done by a
knowledgeable professional.
02
Medication
Especially for moderate to severe cases,
medication may be necessary.
03
Education
Educating parents of children with ADHD & the clients themselves is essential to treatment.
04
Accommodations &
EF Skills Training
Making changes to the physical environment and teaching specific skills is what generates long-term change and treatment success.
05
Modifications
Working with the client and caregivers to modify behavior to that symptoms are less pronounced.
Your doctor and clinician are the best people to work with
on diagnoses and medication.
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I've got you covered for the rest.
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EDUCATION
I teach parents and clients the ins and outs of ADHD using all of the latest brain research and science that makes living well with ADHD a reality. I show you how to work WITH your unique brain.
EF SKILLS TRAINING
I offer detailed Executive Functioning Skills assessments to determine strengths and weaknesses. Then, I design custom curricula for each client that harnesses their strengths to bolster their deficits.
ACCOMMODATIONS
I make changes to the physical environment that provide support at the point of need. I use an array of different supports that have been proven to work and tailor them specifically based on client need and age.
MODIFICATION
Tension between parents and children with ADHD can actually make symptoms worse. I work closely with parents and clients to modify behavior through compassionate support and accountability so that everyone can thrive.
Want to know more?
THE CHALLENGES
If you have ADHD, or you're here for a child who does,
chances are the Executive Functioning challenges listed below
will sound very familiar to you.
The good news?
Coaching can address
ALL OF THEM.
TIME MANAGEMENT
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Struggles to correctly estimate how long daily homework/job assignments will take
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Rarely completes daily homework/work tasks and longer-term projects on time
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Rarely arrives on time for school/work and other important activities
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Often spends tens of minutes in the bathroom or doing activities that should take much less time
ORGANIZATION
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School/work items like bags and notebooks are messy and lack organizational systems
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Often forgets to bring home items that are needed for homework
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Often misplaces important items for work
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Personal areas around the house (desk, room, bathroom) are generally messy
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Bedroom and personal possessions in a state of disarray
SELF-MONITORING
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Gets stalled during homework/work and chores by seemingly minor challenges and struggles to problem solve on the fly or independently
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Struggles to determine how they’re doing during a project or task--self-assessment is a challenge
PLANNING & STRAT
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Avoids/struggles to make decisions about the topic or content of school/work projects
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Avoids/struggles to develop clear plans for writing assignments or projects
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Tends to just “wing it” and hopes things will turn out okay
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Avoids/has difficulty developing plans to manage other daily complex tasks like cleaning their room
ATTENTION•FOCUS
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Easily distracted during non-preferred tasks
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Needs numerous prompts/cues from adults/supervisors to stay focused or on task
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Struggles to stay focused while reading
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Rushes through HW/work assignments and chores
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Appears to pay little attention to the quality/accuracy of work and is often unaware of errors
TASK INITIATION
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Needs multiple prompts from parents/teachers/partners/supervisors in order to start HW/work & other non-preferred projects
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Opts to do any other thing before starting the undesired task
WORKING MEMORY
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Finds multi-step directions challenging
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Forgets to do things like turning off lights or closing doors
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Forgets details of non-preferred tasks
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Forgets directions for daily assignments/tasks
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Frequently loses train of thought
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Struggles with getting ideas down in writing
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Struggles with recalling things read
GOAL SETTING
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Avoids/struggles with setting personal goals regarding school/work achievement and/or other important activities (i.e. getting better at a sport or instrument)
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Seems to live without making many plans
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Avoids/struggles with developing clear goals/plans for task completion and outcomes
TASK PERSISTENCE
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Struggles to keep going when things get challenging
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Seems to lack resiliency
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Gets sidetracked and is not able to return to work or focus in a timely manner
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Often has numerous unfinished projects
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Seems to run out of “juice” in the middle of projects
IMPULSE CONTROL
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Does/says things without stopping and thinking that often lead to feelings of regret and are embarrassing and upsetting to others
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Often interrupts conversational turns
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Struggles with waiting for turn in games
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Rushes into and through assignments and projects without giving adequate consideration to the instructions
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Tends to hurt self or others because of impulsive action
FLEXIBILITY
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Reacts with significant frustration to changes in routine and unplanned events
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Reacts with significant frustration, sadness, or anger to being disappointed
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Struggles to adjust when things don't go as planned
STRESS TOLERANCE
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Struggles to manage the pressure of school or work environments
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Are overwhelmed by demanding, fast-paced environments
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Experience distress when events and situations are unpredictable
EMOTIONAL CONTROL
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Becomes very frustrated by events/situations that would not likely frustrate others as much
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Overreacts when frustrated, saying or doing things that result in significant difficulty for self or others (low frustration tolerance)
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Becomes easily and intensely upset/angered by the actions of others
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Lashes out verbally or physically at others when upset/angry
WHAT COACHING LOOKS LIKE
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I have spent hundreds of hours learning how the ADHD mind works, and even more hours using that learning to make
radical improvements in the lives of my clients.
If you want to learn how to harness your energy and creativity
and take charge of your mind and environment--
my coaching is for you.
•2 hours of meet time each week
(broken down into separate sessions)
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•Detailed EF skills analysis and personalized
curriculum that addresses specific skills
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•Specific strategies & support for school & home
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•Continuous mindset & emotional IQ work
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•Correspondence/coordination with school
teachers and other service providers
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•Personalized goals tracked and revised
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•School progress tracked throughout the week--
daily accountability
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•Private Trello board for parent resources and
detailed session notes following each meeting
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•Parent coaching
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•Unlimited access to me via email and text
throughout the week
Coaching Package for
Kids & teens
15% Off All Items
15% Off All Items
Coaching Package for Adults
•2 hours of meet time each week
(broken down into separate sessions)
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•Detailed EF skills analysis and personalized
curriculum that addresses specific skills
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•Specific strategies & support for home & work
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•Continuous mindset & emotional IQ work
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•Personalized goals tracked and revised
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•When beneficial, daily check-ins by text/quick
calls for extra accountability & support
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•Private Trello board for resources and
detailed session notes following each meeting
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•Relationship & career coaching and strategies
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•Strategies for coping with a late-in-life diagnosis
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•Unlimited access to me via email and text
throughout the week
CLIENTS WALK AWAY WITH
KNOWLEDGE
A better understanding of themselves, how their unique brain works, and how to work WITH themselves instead of against.
STRATEGIES
Concrete, actionable, research-based strategies that work, aid independence, and make living well with ADHD possible.
EMPOWERMENT
A sense of control and agency over their lives that comes from a place of honoring and honing their differences for success.
Interested in Coaching?
TESTIMONIALS
Deborah W.
When our teenage son was formally diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type, something we had long suspected but not known how to deal with, we had the incredible good fortune to find Maggie Tatum to work with him as an executive function coach. After a previous negative experience, with a coach who treated our son as though he were much younger and less capable, it was refreshing to find Maggie, who honored our son's intellect and strengths and helped him build on them. In record time, our son was transformed -- from a student who was very bright, but utterly unable to focus and filter out distractions, he became a student who is working to his potential and is making progress on his plans for the future by following through on the small steps necessary to achieve them. Because we are not constantly haranguing him about missing homework, our relationship with him is better, and we can enjoy watching him succeed. Maggie's work was instrumental in bringing this about.
Nancy F.
Our son is a bright child who was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type) in early elementary school. Getting homework completed was a source of tension and frustration in our family for many years. In addition, our son has struggled with writing since early elementary school. As middle school approached, we worried that our son would get lost with multiple assignments coming from so many different classes every day. In particular, we feared that he would struggle with the basics, wouldn’t be able to keep up in general or have time to work on writing, and that as a result he’d feel lost and middle school would be a miserable experience. After we found Maggie Tatum, and she started working with him to develop and maintain habits for tracking his assignments and managing his workload, things improved. He has achieved much more academically than we ever imagined, and also feels more in control of his time. He goes to school confident, positive, interested in learning, and able to let his strengths shine through. Maggie and my son have developed a trusting and supportive relationship—he listens to her, and follows her advice, much more than to us. She is also an excellent communicator. We have come to rely on her recaps of every session (even the short check-ins), as well as on her good advice on things like 504 plan accommodations and how to engage with teachers. After just over half a year of middle school we feel very lucky to have found her, and can’t imagine how our son would actually be enjoying middle school without her.
Nicole H.
Working with Maggie has been a dream. She truly connects with my son and he has improved his EF skills greatly. Instead of fighting with me, he can have a productive meeting with Maggie. We are seeing so much growth.
Anya
Maggie not only helps our daughter develop executive functioning skills, she also helps us, the parents, understand the complexities of ADHD and coaches us on how to help our daughter gain the necessary skills to be successful academically and socially. This is done in manageable and achievable steps that help build our daughter’s confidence. Maggie sends us helpful status updates weekly and calls our daughter throughout the week to keep her on track. We appreciate Maggie’s knowledge, professionalism, and guidance. Her kind and cheerful demeanor makes her easy to work with and our daughter enjoys her sessions with Maggie. Thanks to Maggie, we are seeing some improvements with our daughter's executive function and we look forward to continue working with her.
ABOUT ME
My name is Maggie Tatum and I am an Empowerment Educator. With 11+ years of experience, I have lived and taught all over the world. From public schools in NYC to 1:1 Coaching, I've done it all & I love it.
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There is little in this life that brings me more joy than helping others tap into their innate greatness and light. I believe in our goodness. I know we do better when we can. I am certain we are all always doing our best. My work is to unlock the potential within so that our best can be elevated. My work is to teach people the gift of choice so that they may live empowered lives.
MY CREDENTIALS
• University of Georgia Alum with a degree in English
• Teach for America Alum
• CUNY Brooklyn College Alum with a
Master's in Special Education
• 11+ years of teaching experience
• Certified ADHD Coach for Kids, Teens, & Adults
• Certified Mindfulness & Meditation Facilitator
• Certified Breathwork Facilitator