Executive Function Coach University Park, TX
The Ladder Method coaches University Park students over Zoom or Google Meet. Each student works with 1 designated coach in weekly sessions, on a strategy built from an assessment, while our Student Success team reviews progress.
We don't have a University Park office, and page 1 of search won't show you anyone who does. A September 2026 search for this phrase returned no executive function provider that lists a University Park street address. This page covers what those results leave out: how Texas funding works this school year, what HPISD families should know, and what to ask any provider, us included.
Match the Purchase to the Problem
Searching from University Park, you're choosing between 3 kinds of provider, and each one does a different job.
A center-based program runs a set protocol in a building on a fixed schedule. Ask which study covers the protocol that center runs today.
An academic executive function coach works on starting, planning and turning in schoolwork, and should be able to explain how they work alongside a 504 plan or an IEP.
A virtual practice does the coaching over video. For University Park families, that's us.
Inside The Ladder Method, the job decides the instructor:
An executive functioning coach teaches executive function skills and may be able to handle some subject matter. Every one holds at least a master's degree.
An executive functioning tutor covers the same skills and holds a BA.
An academic coach teaches study skills, executive function skills and an academic subject.
An instructor or tutor teaches 1 content area.
Two situations call for something other than a coach:
Distress, anxiety or a safety concern. See a licensed clinician first.
An IEP or a 504 plan already in place. Read what executive function support it includes before you pay for more.
What HPISD Families Should Know
Highland Park ISD covers Highland Park, University Park and a small part of North Dallas, according to the district. It runs 8 campuses:
5 elementary schools for Pre-K to 4th grade: Armstrong, Boone, Bradfield, Hyer and University Park Elementary
McCulloch Intermediate for 5th and 6th grade
Highland Park Middle School for 7th and 8th grade
Highland Park High School for 9th to 12th grade
That puts 3 school changes into 4 years: into 5th, 7th and 9th grade. Each move is a new school with its own schedule. McCulloch and Highland Park Middle share a campus, so the move into 7th grade happens without a change of building.
In Texas, the team that writes a student's IEP is the ARD committee, short for admission, review and dismissal, as the Texas Education Agency's parent guide explains. A Section 504 plan is a separate plan. Which one your child has decides which state funding your family can reach.
University Park is also home to SMU. We coach university students too, through our university and young adult program.
Can Texas State Funds Pay for Coaching This Year?
Not this school year, for most University Park families. Texas has 2 programs that can pay for this kind of support, and both 2026-27 application windows closed in the spring.
PDSES: Parent-Directed Special Education Services, from the Texas Education Agency
Amount: a $1,500 grant, once per student.
Who qualifies: a student enrolled in a Texas public school, Pre-K to 12th grade, who receives special education services through an IEP. A Section 504 plan alone doesn't meet that requirement.
Last window: 1 to 30 April 2026, closing at 5:00 pm Central.
Next window: spring 2027.
A student who has already received a PDSES grant can't apply again. TEA treats the older name, Supplemental Special Education Services, as the same program.
TEFA: Texas Education Freedom Accounts
Amounts for 2026-27: $10,474 for a student at an approved private school, and up to $2,000 for a homeschooled student. A student with an IEP on file with TEA may receive up to $30,000, set by the district of residence and the IEP's instructional arrangement code. The program says most students receive less than that cap.
Who qualifies: a student outside the public school system. A student enrolled in a Texas public or charter school can't take part.
Last window: 4 February to 31 March 2026.
Next window: 2027-28 dates aren't announced. The program keeps an interest list.
PDSES requires public school enrollment and TEFA excludes it, so a family can't use both at once. An HPISD student with an IEP can reach PDSES only.
A provider listed as an approved vendor can bill these funds only if your family already holds an award. "Approved vendor" doesn't mean you can pay with state funds this month.
Program rules change. Check the TEA PDSES application page and EducationFreedom.Texas.Gov before you plan around either program.
How the Program Works
It starts with a phone consultation and an assessment, then weekly sessions with 1 coach, tracked for 18 months.
Consultation. A client services enrollment specialist talks with you by phone to understand what your family needs.
Assessment. An assessment coach meets your student and your family. We use the assessment to create a strategy and a timeline.
Coach matching. Your student is matched with a coach.
Weekly sessions. The assessment sets how often sessions run and how long each one lasts.
Ongoing evaluation. Your coach and our Student Success team meet regularly to review progress and decide when to introduce new strategies.
What Our 2024-25 Results Show
Every student is tracked before starting, through the 18 months they work with us, and after the program ends. The published figures pool students in grades 4 to 12 and university students who completed at least 2 semesters of coaching.
For the 2024-25 school year cohorts:
Average GPA rose from 2.65 to 3.82.
For students in academic distress, meaning a GPA below 3.0, GPA rose from 2.18 to 3.68.
Both figures come from our published results, which carry our own disclaimer: the results are not a guarantee.
When any provider quotes an outcome figure, ask what was measured, over how long, and compared with what.
The 12-Skill Checklist
These are the 12 skills we focus on. Check each statement that describes a normal school week for your child, then bring the list to your consultation. The checklist doesn't diagnose anything.
Organization. Papers, keys or assignments go missing.
Time management. Homework takes far longer than your child expected.
Working memory. Directions need repeating before anything happens.
Self-monitoring. A low grade comes back and your child can't say why.
Planning. A project or presentation starts with no plan.
Focus and attention. Attention drifts before the work is done.
Task initiation. Starting takes a reminder, then another.
Emotional regulation. A correction sets off a reaction bigger than the moment.
Task management. A big assignment never gets broken into steps.
Meta-cognition. Test prep has no method behind it.
Goal-directed perseverance. Work gets dropped when it gets hard.
Flexibility. A changed plan or due date derails the evening.
If you checked emotional regulation and there's distress, anxiety or a safety concern at home, talk to a licensed clinician first.
Before You Book Anyone: 6 Questions
Ask every provider on your list the same 6 questions.
What does 1 month cost, in writing? A per-session rate means little until you know how many sessions a month the plan calls for.
Which study covers the exact program you'd run with my child, who ran it, and is it still in print? Research run by the company selling a program is weaker evidence than independent research.
How do you work with a 504 plan or an ARD committee? The provider should ask which one your child has and what it already covers.
Is there a University Park address, or is this virtual? Most results for this search list the city as a service area.
Can I pay with TEFA or PDSES this month? An approved vendor can bill those funds only if your family already holds an award.
Who is my coach, and what degree do they hold? Ask for the degree as well as the title.
How we answer 4 of them. Rates vary based on session length, frequency and the program your student needs, so ask for the figure on your consultation call. University Park coaching runs over Zoom or Google Meet. Every executive functioning coach here holds at least a master's degree. And we track every student before, during and after the program, then publish cohort results with a disclaimer.
Questions University Park Parents Ask
Do you have an office in University Park?
No. University Park students are coached over Zoom or Google Meet. Our locations page lists in-person instruction at our New York City and Sherman Oaks, California locations only.
What does executive function coaching cost?
Rates vary based on session length, frequency and the program your student needs. Ask for the figure on your consultation call.
Can TEFA or PDSES pay for coaching?
Not this school year for most families. Both 2026-27 windows closed in the spring. PDSES is a $1,500 grant for Texas public school students with an IEP, available once per student, and its next window opens in spring 2027. TEFA serves students outside the public school system, and its 2027-28 dates aren't announced.
My child has a 504 plan, not an IEP. Does that change anything?
For state funding, yes. PDSES requires an IEP, and TEFA's amount of up to $30,000 depends on an IEP on file with TEA.
What's the difference between an executive functioning coach and a tutor?
A tutor helps with an individual task or subject. An executive functioning coach works on the full set of executive function skills. At The Ladder Method, every executive functioning coach holds at least a master's degree.
What ages do you coach?
We run programs for elementary and middle school, high school, university and adult clients. See our executive functioning coaching programs.
Do you coach SMU students?
Yes. University students work with us through our university and young adult program.
How soon do families see a change?
Most clients begin noticing improvements within 4 to 8 weeks of consistent coaching. Harder skills, like managing time independently and holding focus, take months.
How do you measure progress?
Every student is tracked before starting, through 18 months, and after the program ends. For the 2024-25 school year cohorts, average GPA rose from 2.65 to 3.82. The results are not a guarantee.
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