
Back at School: solutions for absenteeism with Dr Dennis, Ep 85
From The Executive Function Podcast by Sarah Kesty, Brain Tools School
April 13, 2026 · 37 min
About this episode
Dr. Dennis discusses solutions for absenteeism in schools and the impact of executive dysfunction on student engagement.
Hey Team, I remember reading a sentence that changed my brain forever: childhood is the only time we're expected to be good at everything. Think about it. As an adult, you likely engineer your life (at least work life) to avoid things that are more difficult or boring. Don't like chem? Don't become a chemist! But in childhood, we ask students to be competent in every subject and skill. This is a big demand. Add executive dysfunction to the mix, and it's a wonder our kids and teens keep pushing to attend school! Executive function needs can manifest as apathy and disengagement (It's safer to break up with school before school breaks up with us, right?) Students are absent from school at the highest rates in history. And instead of blaming them or assuming they "don't care," we can start to think and act differently. Dr Dennis shows us how on this week's show! All my love, team! Sarah Connect with me! My book is out in the wild, and it's changing lives! Order Growing Executive Function at Solution Tree or on Amazon . I'm also training educators and organizations across this beautiful globe, and we're finding improving executive function is game-changing! If that…
People in this episode
Host: Sarah Kesty
Guest: Dr Dennis Lefevre
Topics covered
- absenteeism
- executive function
- childhood education
- student engagement
- mental health
Keywords
- absenteeism
- executive function
- student engagement
- mental health
- education
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Brain Tools School, Solution Tree, Amazon
Products: Growing Executive Function
Places: school
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