Task Initiation and Completion
Written by:
Shirley Reichberg, BA, BEd, OCT
| January 2025
Your daughter has been sitting at the kitchen table for an hour. Her laptop is open, her textbook is out, but she hasn’t written a single word. When you ask what’s wrong, she says, “I don’t know. I just can’t start.”
Maybe it’s your son who starts every project with enthusiasm but abandons it halfway through, leaving behind a trail of unfinished assignments. Or maybe it’s your younger child who can’t seem to get ready for school in the morning without you prompting their every single move.
Sound familiar? You’re definitely not alone. Difficulty with task initiation and completion is one of the most common executive function challenges I see in my work with students, and one of the most frustrating for parents who just want their kids to get things done.
What are task initiation and task completion?
Task initiation is simply the ability to begin a task without procrastinating forever. It’s getting from “I should start my homework” to actually opening up the textbook. Task completion is following through until something is actually done. Not 90%, not “almost finished,” but actually complete.
Both are executive function skills, which are the mental processes that help us plan, organize, and get things done. Some people call persistent difficulties with these skills executive dysfunction or executive function disorder. When these skills aren’t fully developed, or when they’re particularly challenging for a student, you’ll see things like:
- Your child knows exactly what needs to be done, but seems frozen in place
- Projects get started, but never quite finished
- Any multi-step assignment feels impossible to tackle
- Even assignments they care about get pushed to the last minute
- Lots of stress and frustration around homework or daily routines
Why starting is so hard
When your child can’t start their homework, it’s rarely about laziness or lack of motivation. Something else is usually getting in the way.
- The task feels too big. When your child looks at a big project or even a morning routine with multiple steps, their brain might see one enormous, scary thing instead of a series of steps. That overwhelming feeling can literally freeze them in place.
- Perfectionism is blocking them. Some kids can’t start because they’re terrified of doing it wrong. If they never start, they never have to face the possibility of imperfection.
- The brain needs a bigger hook. Students with ADHD and task initiation difficulties often struggle to activate their brain for tasks. It’s not their fault, it’s how their brain is wired.
- Executive Function skills take time to develop. The part of the brain responsible for planning and getting started doesn’t fully mature until the mid-20s. What looks like defiance or laziness is often a skill that simply isn’t there yet.
- Past experiences have taught them that starting equals stress. If your child has repeatedly felt overwhelmed or failed at tasks in the past, their brain learned to avoid starting as a way of avoiding that bad feeling.
Task initiation strategies
Quick strategies with big impact!
Make the first step ridiculously small
Instead of ‘work on history essay,’ the first step should be ‘open a Google Doc.’ For a younger child, instead of ‘get ready for school,’ it’s ‘put on your socks.’ That’s it. One tiny action that takes seconds.
This may sound silly, but it works. Starting is genuinely the hardest part. Once there’s a blank document open or socks are on, kids often find it easier to take the next step. And then the next.
Timers and routines can be game-changers
A lot of kids struggle to start because they’re relying entirely on internal motivation, which is exhausting. An alarm or timer can be that external nudge that says ‘it’s time now.’
Our brains love patterns. If your child does the same sequence of actions every day before homework or in the morning, their brain starts to recognize this is the routine and shifts gears more easily. For younger kids, visual schedules with pictures can make routines even clearer.
Task completion strategies
Getting to the finish line
Make progress visible
Kids need to see that they’re making progress. Checklists work really well for this. For a research paper, that might mean checkboxes for: topic chosen, outline done, intro written, first source summarized. For a younger child’s morning routine, it might be pictures or words for each step they can check off.
Checking things off gives the brain a little hit of accomplishment.
Break things down with mini-deadlines
If the paper is due Friday, create smaller deadlines throughout the week. For younger kids, break a big task like ‘clean your room’ into ‘put away clothes,’ then ‘put away toys,’ then ‘make your bed.’
Check in at these points. A quick ‘how’s the outline coming?’ or ‘are the clothes put away?’ keeps the task on your child’s radar instead of forgotten until the last minute.
Work with their natural rhythms
Not everyone works best right after school. Some kids need to decompress first Others hit a wall by evening. Pay attention to when your child’s brain actually works well, and try to schedule harder tasks during those times. Younger children often have more energy and focus in the morning, while teens might be night owls.
Age-specific considerations
Elementary School
Younger children are just beginning to develop executive function skills. They need a lot of external support and scaffolding. Visual schedules, shorter work periods, and frequent check-ins are essential. Don’t expect them to remember multi-step tasks on their own – their brains simply aren’t ready for that yet.
Middle School
This is often when task initiation and completion struggles become more obvious. The demands increase, but the skills are still developing. Middle schoolers benefit from learning systems and routines they can eventually use independently, but they still need significant adult support to implement them.
High School and University/College
Older students need strategies they can use independently. Time blocking helps – treating study time like a class that goes on a calendar. Finding the right work location matters too. Some students can’t start work in their room but can in the library or a coffee shop. Building in buffer time by making personal deadlines earlier than the real ones can reduce last-minute panic. Campus resources like study halls, writing centres, and academic coaching provide structure and accountability.
Signs your child might need support
The struggle is affecting more than just their grades.
If task initiation difficulties are causing regular emotional meltdowns, family conflict, or your teen is expressing feelings of hopelessness, that’s significant. These struggles shouldn’t be dominating your home life or your child’s sense of self.
Basic strategies aren’t making a dent.
You’ve tried checklists, timers, and routines. Maybe they work for a few days, but nothing sticks. This often means the underlying challenge needs to be better understood before strategies will work. This is especially concerning if your child is significantly behind their peers in these skills.
You’re seeing avoidance that seems extreme.
Most kids procrastinate sometimes. But if your child is consistently avoiding homework, daily tasks, or responsibilities, shutting down completely when faced with what needs to be done, or experiencing physical symptoms like stomachaches, that’s beyond typical procrastination.
Your relationship with your child is suffering.
When you’ve become the homework police or the morning nag and everyday ends in frustration or tears, that’s a sign you both need outside support. Your job is to be their parent, not their executive function coach.
Kids who struggle most with task initiation and task completion sometimes have something else going on beneath the surface. Sometimes it’s ADHD. Sometimes it’s anxiety that’s making every assignment or task feel overwhelming. Sometimes it’s a learning difference that hasn’t been identified yet. And sometimes, it is something else.
Professional executive function support
If you’re reading this article because you’ve already tried everything and your child is still struggling, you’re not alone. A lot of parents reach a point where they realize their child needs more than what they can provide at home.
Executive function coaching for students is one-on-one work with someone trained specifically in these skills. A coach doesn’t just tell your child what to do; they help them figure out what works for their specific brain, build systems that actually fit into their life, and provide consistent accountability.
The difference between a parent helping and a coach helping is significant. Kids often respond differently to someone outside the family. There’s less emotional baggage, less history of conflict, and more willingness to try new approaches.
Get executive function coaching supportMaking the decision to get help
Some parents worry that getting outside help means they’ve failed somehow. It doesn’t. It means you’re recognizing that your child needs something you’re not equipped to provide and that’s actually really good parenting.
Think about it this way: if your child was struggling with math, you wouldn’t hesitate to get them a tutor. Executive function skills are no different. Some students need explicit teaching and support to develop them.
If you’re on the fence about whether to seek help, ask yourself: How long has this been going on? Is it getting better on its own, or worse? What’s the cost to your child’s wellbeing and your family’s quality of life if nothing changes?
You don’t have to wait until things are in crisis mode. Early support often means skills develop faster and with less frustration for everyone involved.
Shirley Reichberg, an OCT-certified educator with 17 years of classroom experience, is the Director of Executive Function Coaching at Red Oak. Specializing in special education and executive function coaching, Shirley helps students build essential skills like organization, time management, planning, and task prioritization—tools that foster both academic achievement and personal growth. She also posts content on Instagram as @efskillswithshirley and on LinkedIn.