Serving Marin County & Beyond
Back-to-School · In-Person July / August Refresher
Get the Summer Work Done. Then Get Ready for What's Next.
A targeted August refresher for students with ADHD and learning differences — knock out the summer packet, fill the gaps, and build the skills and self-understanding to hit the ground running in September. Live, in-person, not online.
3 hours total coaching + Optional Family Pre-Action aplan · July & August dates, flexible
What Makes this Different
Skills are Just the Start
First things first — let's get to the summer work. Whatever's sitting on the desk, half-finished or not started, that comes off the plate. The packet, the reading log, the math review. Done -or lots of progress. But that's just the beginning.
The Back-to-School Refresher is a lot more than refreshing skills, filling gaps, and gaining confidence — though it's all of that too. Students also get their own real-world introduction to ADHD, self-regulation, and executive function. The same framework at the heart of the PAUSE People system, adapted for the way kids and teens can actually make sense of it — and of themselves in the moments, situations, and places where it shows up. Why it feels the way it does. What to do about it.
Students leave with better skills and something just as valuable: an actionable understanding of how their brain works and how to talk about it — with teachers, parents, other adults, and friends. Way beyond a list of accommodations, it's a story and a set of skills they can actually use in the classroom, at home, and in their own head.
Topics include:
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What ADHD actually is — self-regulation and executive function too — in plain language they can own, not just a diagnosis handed to them
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Why their brain makes certain things genuinely harder — and that it's not laziness, attitude, or not trying — plus concrete strategies for the moments when it shows up
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Real tools and mindsets for getting started on something hard, without waiting for the perfect moment that never comes
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What to do when frustration, overwhelm, or the urge to quit takes over — including strategies they can actually remember and use in the moment
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How to talk about their brain with a teacher, a parent, or a friend — and actually be understood
August is the right time.
How it comes to life
Skill Areas
What Gets Worked On
Based on your child's packet and a brief intake conversation, sessions are built around what's actually due — and what's actually needed.
✍️ Writing Whether it's a reading response, a personal essay, or a prompted assignment — we use it to build real writing process: planning, drafting, revising, and getting unstuck.
🔢 Math Summer math review becomes a diagnostic tool. We identify exactly where the gaps are and address them — before the new year builds on top of them.
📚 Study Skills (optional, based on intake) For students who need more than subject help — note-taking, time management, homework routines, and building a realistic weekly rhythm for fall.
💻 Assistive Technology (optional, based on intake) For students with evaluations recommending AT, or anyone whose productivity would benefit from the right digital tools — explored hands-on in the Learning Lab.
For Families: The Pre-Action Plan
Shifting the Conversation to Home
A family meeting — with Dan, you, and your child — to take everything from the sessions and turn it into a concrete plan for the school year. What's working, what to watch for, and exactly how to set up the conditions at home that make September smoother than last year.
A focused family conversation — before school starts — to make sure everyone's heading in the same direction.
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Setting up a homework space and daily routine that actually works for your child
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Sleep, screens, and the transition back to school-year rhythms
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How to communicate with teachers — including IEP and 504 considerations
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Building a realistic weekly rhythm for homework, activities, and downtime
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What to do when things break down — without the spiral
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How your child can start talking about their brain and advocating for themselves
This is an optional 60-minute family meeting with Dan — available as an add-on to any August Refresher package. Families who do it consistently say it's the piece that makes everything else stick.
THIS IS FOR YOUR CHILD IF:
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They have summer work due — and it's been sitting there, untouched or half-finished
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They have ADHD, a learning difference, or executive function challenges that make school harder than it needs to be
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They're bright, but their work doesn't always show it
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They struggle to get started, stay on track, or finish things without a lot of adult help
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They've never had anyone explain how their brain actually works — in a way that made sense to them
THIS IS FOR YOUR FAMILY IF:
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The summer assignment is a consistent source of stress at home
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You want September to feel different than last September
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You're looking for targeted, practical support — not a long-term commitment
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You want your child to head into the new year with more momentum, less uncertainty
Designed for students in elementary and middle school. Three sessions are in July & August, built around what your child has due — and the skills they need to start the year on solid ground.