Mindfulness as an Intervention for Improving Academic Success among Students with Executive Functioning Disorders

College attendance has increasingly become a seemingly mandatory next step following high school: employment, promotion, and career-related skills frequently demand post-secondary training. As the college attendance rate has increased, the rate of college attendees with diagnosed learning disabilities or learning challenges has followed suit (Connor, 2012). Time management, including the abilities to focus attention and reach incremental goals, are critical to college success (Al-Harthy, Qaboos, & Was, 2013). This paper attempts to analyze the role of mindfulness and self-awareness in relation to the etiology of executive functioning disorders. Recent literature supports the use of mindfulness and meta-cognitive awareness as tools to help students with executive functioning deficits succeed in high-stress academic environments.