Recorded May 23, 2025.

Hosted by Autism Society Alberta’s Indigenous Relations Circle

Executive Functioning (EF) refers to the behaviour management system of the brain. These cognitive processes tell us what to do, when to do it, and how well to do it. Individuals with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD may experience increased difficulty in the development and use of these functions compared to their same-aged peers. When kids struggle to regulate their executive functioning it can result in lower grades, lack of motivation, school avoidance, social difficulties, anxiety and stress. But these “problem behaviours” are simply symptoms of unmet needs. Join Tanya to learn how difficulties with executive functioning could be causing problem behaviours and what you can do to help!

Presented by Tanya Keto, Registered Psychologist #6405

Tanya has 25 years of experience working with struggling students and their families as a teacher, a learning strategist, a guidance counsellor, and an educational psychologist. She now specializes in conducting psychoeducational assessments, including assessment and treatment of neurodevelopmental disabilities such as ADHD and Learning Disabilities (LD). Throughout her career, she has focused on working with individuals with ADHD and Learning Disabilities. She regularly provides coaching, education, and mentorship for teachers, caregivers, employers, and specialists around these two neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is also a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary, where she teaches about Learning Disabilities as part of the Master of Education program and a parent coach for the Center for ADHD Awareness Canada. With a unique ability to combine her real-world experiences with professional practice, Tanya approaches her work from a place of empathy, insight, and expertise to set everyone up for success.

Presentation Slides

Links from the presentation:

• Nitsiyihkâson: The Brain Science Behind Cree Teachings of Early Childhood Attachment
• Course – REFOCUS: Reinforcing Executive Functioning with Optimism, Compassion, Understanding, and Support
• Community Education Service

We acknowledge the traditional lands and territories of the Indigenous peoples who have lived on these lands and have taken care of them since time immemorial. What became known as the Province of Alberta in 1905, is also the traditional and ancestral home to many Indigenous Peoples and for that we are honoured to have shared this land with them since Treaties 6, 7, and 8 were entered into. Alberta is also the historical Northwest Métis Homeland – which includes five Territories. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting.