This glossary explains the terms parents hear when a teen or young adult is struggling with school, work or independence, from executive function to SAP appeals. It is written by Blackburn Mentoring, which offers one-on-one mentoring for teens 13 and up and young adults, by video nationwide and in person in Los Angeles ((888) 305-5422).
Each term links to a longer guide. Terms are grouped by topic: mentoring and support roles, executive function and habits, young adults and independence and school and college terms.
Mentoring and support roles
Mentor
A consistent adult outside the family who meets a teen or young adult regularly to set practical goals and follow through on them across school, work, money and routines. A mentor is not a therapist or a tutor. See how mentoring works.
Paid mentor
A professional mentor a family hires, who usually meets weekly or more, works on specific goals, checks in between sessions and updates parents. Cost is set by the provider. See paid mentor vs volunteer program.
Volunteer mentoring program
A free program that pairs a young person with a screened volunteer for a long-term relationship, often meeting a few times a month. Many have eligibility rules or waiting lists. See mentoring programs for teens explained.
Virtual (online) mentoring
Mentoring by video instead of in person, usually with text or phone check-ins between sessions. It lets a family work with a mentor in another city or time zone. See online vs in person mentoring.
Tutor
Someone who teaches the content of a specific subject, such as algebra or essay writing. A tutor helps with understanding the material, not with habits across all classes. See mentor, therapist, tutor or coach.
Academic coach
A coach who works on study skills, grades and organization across classes rather than one subject. See academic coach vs mentor.
Executive function coach
A coach who focuses on planning, starting tasks, time management and organization, often for students with ADHD. See executive function coaching.
Therapist
A licensed mental health professional who assesses and treats emotional and behavioral concerns such as anxiety and depression. A mentor can work alongside a therapist, with written permission. See therapy and mentoring together.
Accountability partner
Someone who checks in on the commitments you made, so it is harder to let them slide. In mentoring, accountability comes from agreed steps and check-ins between sessions. See accountability coaching.
Intro call
A short first conversation to talk through goals and fit before any commitment. At Blackburn Mentoring it is free and follows a short online assessment. See start with a short assessment.
Executive function and habits
Executive function
The set of mental skills used to plan, start, organize, remember and finish tasks, including working memory, task initiation, time management and self-monitoring. See executive function skills.
Working memory
Holding information in mind while using it, such as remembering the steps of an instruction while carrying them out. See executive function skills.
Task initiation
Starting a task without a long delay. Trouble with task initiation often looks like procrastination. See teen procrastination.
Time blindness
An informal term for trouble sensing how much time has passed or how long a task will take. It is often discussed with ADHD; it is not a diagnosis. See college with ADHD.
Body doubling
Working alongside another person, in the same room or on video, to make it easier to start and stay on a task. An informal strategy many people with ADHD use. See ADHD accountability partner.
Young adults and independence
Failure to launch
An informal term, not a diagnosis, for a young adult who is having trouble moving into independent adulthood: work or school, money, and living on their own. See the failure to launch parent guide.
Emerging adulthood
A term coined by psychologist Jeffrey Jensen Arnett for the years from about 18 to the mid twenties, between adolescence and settled adulthood. See young adults who feel stuck.
Living at home agreement
A written agreement between parents and an adult child living at home that sets expectations for chores, money, work or school steps and timelines. See living at home agreement builder.
Launch readiness
How prepared a young adult is to handle independent life: routines, money, work or school, and daily tasks. See launch readiness checklist.
School and college terms
IEP
An Individualized Education Program: a written plan for a K to 12 public school student who qualifies for special education, setting goals and services. See learning differences in high school.
504 plan
A plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that gives a K to 12 student with a disability accommodations, such as extra time on tests. See learning differences in high school.
College accommodations
Supports such as extra test time for a college student with a disability. IEPs and 504 plans do not carry over automatically; the student registers with the disability services office and provides documentation. See disability services in college.
Dual enrollment
High school students taking college courses for credit, often at a community college. See college credit in high school.
Gap year
A planned year between high school and college, or during college, used for work, service, travel or other experience. See gap year ideas.
Summer melt
When students who were accepted and planned to start college in the fall do not enroll. See summer melt.
Academic probation
A warning status when a college student’s grades fall below the minimum. The student can keep enrolling but must raise their grades. See academic probation.
Academic suspension
A required break from enrollment for a set period, usually after not meeting the terms of probation. Rules vary by college. See returning after academic suspension.
Academic dismissal
Removal from a college for poor academic standing. Many colleges allow an appeal or later readmission. See academic dismissal appeal.
SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress)
The standard a student must meet to keep federal financial aid, covering grades, the share of attempted credits completed and a maximum time frame. Students who miss it may appeal. See SAP appeal.
W (withdrawal)
A grade showing a student dropped a course after the add and drop deadline. It usually does not affect GPA but can affect SAP. See what a W on a transcript means.
Incomplete
A temporary grade that lets a student finish coursework after the term ends, by a deadline. At many colleges it becomes an F if the work is not finished. See incomplete grades in college.
Leave of absence
Approved time away from college with a plan to return. Rules and deadlines vary by college. See leave of absence from college.
Transfer shock
A temporary dip in grades that many students experience in their first term after transferring to a new college. See transfer shock.
How Blackburn Mentoring fits
Blackburn Mentoring pairs a teen 13 and up, a college student or a young adult with one dedicated mentor for weekly sessions and check-ins between them, by video anywhere in the United States or in person in Los Angeles. Mentoring is not therapy, tutoring or crisis care. See mentor, therapist or coach and how to choose a mentor for your teen.
Get started
Have a question about your teen or young adult? Call (888) 305-5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.
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