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Executive Function Brain Trainer Podcast

Executive Function Brain Trainer Podcast

By: Darius Namdaran and Dr Erica Warren
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The Executive Function Brain Trainer Podcast, co-hosted by Dr. Erica Warren and Darius Namdaran, is a biweekly exploration into improving executive functions. The series transforms complex brain science into accessible, practical strategies for enhancing cognitive skills. It investigates areas like boosting memory, improving cognitive flexibility, and offers tailored strategies. The podcast also examines lifestyle factors and technology on cognitive performance. Aimed at a diverse audience, from students to professionals, this podcast offers a practical guide for enhancing mental capabilities.Darius Namdaran and Dr Erica Warren Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • # 102: Building Executive Functioning Skills over the Summer

    # 102: Building Executive Functioning Skills over the Summer
    Jun 9 2026
    In this episode of the Executive Function Brain Trainer Podcast, Dr. Erica Warren welcomes her business partner, executive functioning coach and educational therapist Nancy Platt Dawud, for a discussion geared toward parents on building executive functioning skills over the summer. They contrast the risks of too little structure with the benefits of involving kids in planning, time management, and organization, while also emphasizing the value of unstructured time, boredom, creativity, and frustration tolerance. They suggest practical, playful strategies including outdoor activities (obstacle courses, scavenger hunts, sports), family games (card and board games that support working memory, inhibition, flexibility, logic, and spatial skills), reading supports (graphic novels, audiobooks paired with text, finger tracking, apps), and real-life skill builders like cooking, travel prep and packing lists, map reading, memorizing key information, visual schedules, and small “chunked” routines like the three-thing rule, while cautioning against overscheduling and overhelping.Links:EF Student Coaching with Erica:⁠⁠https://learningtolearn.biz/⁠⁠⁠⁠EF Adult Coaching with Erica:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dropintoyourbestself.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠Executive Function Products and Tools: https://goodsensorylearning.com/collections/executive-functioning-skills-trainingivvi notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ivvi.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Executive Functioning Coaching Course: ⁠https://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/courses/teaching-EF-and-study-strategies⁠Executive Functioning Resources: ⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/collections/executive-functioning-skills-training⁠⁠⁠Executive Functioning Assessments:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://goodsensorylearning.com/search?type=product&q=EFCA⁠⁠⁠⁠Inner Voice:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/blogs/news/inner-voice-app⁠⁠Erica and Nancy’s Private Practice: https://learningtolearn.biz/ Drinking from a hose short: https://www.instagram.com/reels/CsXhIgQsTUw/ Quitch: Look for a used one on eBayRat-A-Tat CatBlinkDeductoTaco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, PizzaDog CrimesCat CrimesScattergoriesPictionaryMastermindGuess the Color (online version of Mastermind) Genius SquareBlockusQBitsLogic LinksRush HourClueSkylightDry Erase CalendarsPicture SchedulesBrought to you by:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ivvi.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://learningspecialistcourses.com⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/products/executive-functioning-coaching-assessment⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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    45 mins
  • # 101: Cognitive Flexibility and AI

    # 101: Cognitive Flexibility and AI
    Apr 7 2026

    In this episode of the Executive Function Brain Trainer Podcast, hosts Darius Namdaran and Dr. Erica Warren explore how AI can support cognitive flexibility as one of the three core components of executive functioning, alongside working memory and inhibitory control. Using metaphors like golf and GPS, they describe cognitive flexibility as adapting goals and perspectives when circumstances change, including managing transitions, emotional regulation, and breaking out of rigid thinking loops. They discuss practical ways to use AI as a process tool and thinking partner; role-playing different perspectives, generating better questions, and refining communication, while warning against overreliance that can weaken skills. They also highlight pitfalls like context window limits and AI sycophancy, plus strategies such as summarizing, restarting threads, and capturing key principles in notes and templates to preserve intent and improve future AI use.
    Links:

    • Executive Function Products and Tools: https://goodsensorylearning.com/collections/executive-functioning-skills-training
    • Obsidian: https://obsidian.md/
    • Claude cowork: https://claude.com/product/cowork
    • Chat GPT: https://chatgpt.com/
    • ivvi notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ivvi.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • Executive Functioning Coaching Course: ⁠https://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/courses/teaching-EF-and-study-strategies⁠
    • Executive Functioning Resources: ⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/collections/executive-functioning-skills-training⁠⁠⁠
    • Executive Functioning Assessments:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://goodsensorylearning.com/search?type=product&q=EFCA⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • Inner Voice:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/blogs/news/inner-voice-app⁠⁠
    • EF Student Coaching with Erica:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://learningtolearn.biz/⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • EF Adult Coaching with Erica:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://dropintoyourbestself.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Brought to you by:

    • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ivvi.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • https://goodsensorylearning.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://learningspecialistcourses.com⁠⁠
    • ⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/products/executive-functioning-coaching-assessment⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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    53 mins
  • #100: Executive Functioning Crisis for Students

    #100: Executive Functioning Crisis for Students
    Apr 6 2026

    In this episode of the Executive Function Braintrainer Podcast, hosts Darius Namdaran and Dr. Erica Warren discuss a growing executive functioning crisis among teens, driven by post-COVID challenges and the shift to inconsistent, multi-platform digital school systems. They describe how varied teacher workflows across tools like Canvas and Google Classroom increase cognitive load, leading students to lose assignments, forget to submit work, and be mislabeled as lazy or careless. The hosts compare this offloading of administrative burden to customer service systems that push work onto users, noting similar stressors for adults and older people. They explore coping strategies such as keeping passwords and step-by-step processes in one place, explicit note-taking, and hand-holding support, while also considering how AI tools could eventually reduce procedural overload, though many students are not allowed to use AI.

    Links:

    • Executive Function Products and Tools: https://goodsensorylearning.com/collections/executive-functioning-skills-training
    • Executive Function Coaching and Certification Course: https://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/courses/teaching-EF-and-study-strategies
    • Executive Functioning Coaching Course: ⁠https://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/courses/teaching-EF-and-study-strategies⁠
    • Executive Functioning Resources: ⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/collections/executive-functioning-skills-training⁠⁠⁠
    • Executive Functioning Assessments:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://goodsensorylearning.com/search?type=product&q=EFCA⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • Inner Voice:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/blogs/news/inner-voice-app⁠⁠
    • EF Student Coaching with Erica:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://learningtolearn.biz/⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • EF Adult Coaching with Erica:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://dropintoyourbestself.com/coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Brought to you by:

    • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ivvi.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • ⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://learningspecialistcourses.com⁠⁠⁠⁠
    • ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://goodsensorylearning.com/products/executive-functioning-coaching-assessment
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
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