Writing, Executive Function, and Life: Sarah Kesty is the GUEST this week, with host Blaise Aguirre Ep 84
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Sarah Kesty, a neurodivergent educator and author, reveals how executive function isn't just about productivity—it's a lifeline for belonging, self-worth, and survival in a world not built for neurodivergent brains. She shares her personal journey: growing up with a neuromuscular disease and strong executive function skills, yet still feeling like an outsider due to social exclusion. This lived experience fuels her mission to teach executive function not as a fix for 'deficits,' but as a way to help people thrive in a neurotypical world. Her book, which avoids terms like 'mindfulness' to remain accessible to educators, emphasizes awareness and monitoring—skills she uses daily, even while modeling them in real time during this very interview. She warns that technology, while helpful, risks eroding cognitive muscles, and raises urgent questions about AI’s role in writing: does it empower students or steal their voice? Ultimately, she argues that executive function is not about being 'better'—it's about being seen, understood, and given the tools to exist authentically.
Executive function is not a deficit—it's a survival skill for neurodivergent people navigating a world not built for them.
Awareness and monitoring are the core skills of executive function, not just planning or time management.
Technology like GPS and AI can help, but over-reliance may weaken the very cognitive muscles we need to develop.
Teachers can model executive function in real time—like Sarah did by writing down her thoughts mid-interview.
AI tools can help students meet deadlines, but they risk eroding authentic self-expression and writing identity.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Power of Executive Function as a Lifeline
“It's not just skills for doing well at school or at home. They're skills for functioning in a neurotypical world that wasn't built for you.”
From Personal Struggle to Professional Mission
“I grew up with really strong executive function. That's been a gift of mine, but I also have a neuromuscular disease. And especially growing up, you form your identity based on like being picked for teams...”
The Tree of Executive Function: A New Framework
“I've just designed it like a tree with three main branches. And so it's the future skills like organizing, planning, prioritizing, calendaring, all of that.”
Teaching Awareness Without Judgment
Sarah details how to help students recognize executive function struggles without labeling them as lazy or unintelligent—using observation, coaching, and modeling in real time.
The Lifelong Impact of Executive Function Deficits
Sarah explains how deficits like time blindness persist across life, but manifest differently in structured school settings versus independent adult life, and how aging can reveal long-hidden patterns.
“these aren't just skills for doing well at school or at home. They're skills for functioning in a neurotypical world that wasn't built for you.”
“I am worried that students are losing their ability to communicate, especially in writing because it's so easy to have it done for you.”
“I've just designed it like a tree with three main branches. And so it's the future skills like organizing, planning, prioritizing, calendaring, all of that.”
Host
Guest
Sarah Kesty
person
Blaise Aguirre
person
AI
other
neuromuscular disease
other
GPS
other
Executive Function Podcast
media
mindfulness
other
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
other
co-teaching
other
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