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.