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Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents


Synopsis


More than 100,000 school practitioners and teachers (K-12) have benefited from the step-by-step guidelines and practical tools in this influential go-to resource, now revised and expanded with six new chapters. The third edition presents effective ways to assess students' strengths and weaknesses, create supportive instructional environments, and promote specific skills, such as organization, time management, sustained attention, and emotional control. Strategies for individualized and classwide intervention are illustrated with vivid examples and sample scripts. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes 38 reproducible forms and handouts. Purchasers get access to a webpage where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

New to This Edition
*Chapter with guidance and caveats for developing individual education programs (IEPs), 504 Plans, and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).
*Chapters on working with students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder.
*Three guest-authored chapters describing exemplary schoolwide applications.
*More student centered--provides a template for involving children in intervention decision making.
*Fully updated with the latest developments in the field.

This book is in The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series, edited by Sandra M. Chafouleas.

Peg Dawson, Richard Guare

Summary

Chapter 1: Executive Functions: The Basics

* Summary: Defines executive functions as the cognitive processes responsible for goal-directed behavior, including planning, organizing, initiating, monitoring, and controlling actions.
* Example: A child who can plan out a homework schedule, organize their backpack, and start working on homework without procrastination demonstrates strong executive skills.

Chapter 2: Working Memory and Inhibition

* Summary: Explains working memory as the ability to hold and manipulate information in mind, while inhibition refers to the ability to suppress irrelevant thoughts and behaviors.
* Example: A student who can listen to a teacher's instructions, remember them, and apply them to a task demonstrates good working memory and inhibition.

Chapter 3: Cognitive Flexibility and Set-Shifting

* Summary: Introduces cognitive flexibility as the ability to switch between different tasks or perspectives, and set-shifting as the ability to change strategies when the rules change.
* Example: A child who can complete different types of homework assignments and adjust their approach when a game's rules change exhibits strong cognitive flexibility and set-shifting.

Chapter 4: Self-Regulation and Motivation

* Summary: Discusses self-regulation as the ability to control emotions, impulses, and behaviors, while motivation refers to the internal drive that fuels actions.
* Example: A student who can manage their emotions when faced with a difficult test and stay motivated to study even when they don't feel like it demonstrates self-regulation and motivation.

Chapter 5: Executive Functioning in the Classroom

* Summary: Explores how executive functions support academic success in areas such as planning, organization, time management, and social interaction.
* Example: A child who can follow classroom instructions, stay on task, and participate actively in group activities exhibits strong classroom executive functioning.

Chapter 6: Executive Functioning in the Real World

* Summary: Discusses how executive functions impact daily life outside of school, in areas such as social relationships, problem-solving, and decision-making.
* Example: A teenager who can plan a party, invite friends, and ensure everyone has a good time demonstrates executive functioning in a real-world setting.

Chapter 7: Assessment and Intervention

* Summary: Provides an overview of assessment tools used to identify executive function challenges and evidence-based interventions to support their development.
* Example: A parent who takes their child to a neuropsychologist for an assessment that identifies areas of difficulty with executive functioning and receives a plan for intervention.

Chapter 8: Collaboration and Support

* Summary: Emphasizes the importance of collaboration between parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals to support children and adolescents with executive function challenges.
* Example: A teacher who works with a parent and school counselor to develop strategies for supporting a student with ADHD, a condition commonly associated with executive function difficulties.