Dr. Steven Kennelly, Clinical Neuropsychologist
President and Founder of HeadWorks Academic Coaching
Who We Are
Through over 22 years of clinical practice—three years at the United States Military Academy (West Point) and 19 years in Princeton, I have repeatedly and routinely heard parents’ concerns about their overwhelmed, yet otherwise high-functioning children.
Why is it that their results in school do not accurately reflect their abilities or potential to achieve?
Most often, these children did not have “learning disabilities.” They instead had average to below average executive functioning skills that made it challenging for them to keep up when learning an above average curriculum.
In fact, approximately 65% of adolescents have some form of production problem due to an executive functioning limitation.
A small fraction of these children are subsequently diagnosed with ADHD and treated with stimulant medication. Such treatment, while helpful, does not cure these symptoms and is rarely 100% effective. These children, therefore, experience chronic academic impediments and fail to learn skills that can later help them wean off medication. In total, this pattern leads to more children being diagnosed with ADHD and greater numbers of children taking stimulant medications in perpetuity.
For decades, I have witnessed the personal and family strife, anxiety, frustration, anger, and low self-esteem that result from homework headaches and issues of poor productivity. I sought in vain for a program to help kids with executive functioning skills, but found none. It was frustrating and demoralizing for me to just sit by and watch.
I kept returning to the simple notion that there must be a way to offer parents real, sustainable solutions for their overwhelmed children through a thoroughly researched formal program utilizing proven strategies and methodologies taught by qualified and trained coaches.
So I created one. It is called HeadWorks, and we are proud to say, it is where executive functions work.
Come see for yourself how we end the homework battles, restore peace at home, and help your child develop the executive functions that are critical for both academic success and success in life.
