Executive Function Disorder: Resources

Parent's Guide to Children with Executive Functioning Disorder by Rebecca Branstetter The vital skills children need to achieve their full potential! Being organized. Staying focused. Controlling impulses and emotions. These are some of the basic executive functioning (EF) skills children need to function and succeed as they grow. But what can you do if your child is struggling with one or all of these skills? With this hands-on guide, you'll learn what EF difficulties look like and how you can help your child overcome these challenges. Psychologist Rebecca Branstetter teaches you how to help improve the executive functions, including: Task initiation Response inhibition Focus Time management Working memory Flexibility Self-regulation Completing tasks Organization With checklists to help enforce skills and improve organization, The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Executive Functioning Disorder is your step-by-step handbook for helping your child concentrate, learn, and thrive!

Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson; Richard Guare There's nothing more frustrating than watching your bright, talented son or daughter struggle with everyday tasks like finishing homework, putting away toys, or following instructions at school. Your "smart but scattered" 4- to 13-year-old might also have trouble coping with disappointment or managing anger. Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare have great news: there's a lot you can do to help. The latest research in child development shows that many kids who have the brain and heart to succeed lack or lag behind in crucial "executive skills"--the fundamental habits of mind required for getting organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. Learn easy-to-follow steps to identify your child's strengths and weaknesses, use activities and techniques proven to boost specific skills, and problem-solve daily routines. Helpful worksheets and forms can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Small changes can add up to big improvements--this empowering book shows how. See also the authors' Smart but Scattered Teens and their self-help guide for adults. Plus, an academic planner for middle and high school students and related titles for professionals.

Executive Functioning Disorder by Rebecca Branstetter Help your child feel confident and capable! If your child has been given a diagnosis of executive functioning disorder, you may be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. You want your child to be able to master certain basic skills, such as being organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. But what if your child is having trouble with one or all of these skills? With The Conscious Parent's Guide to Executive Functioning Disorder, you'll learn how to take a relationship-centered approach to parenting as you help improve your child's executive functioning skills: Task initiation Response inhibition Focus Time management Working memory Flexibility Self-regulation Completing tasks Organization Conscious parenting is about being present with your children and taking the time to understand how to help them flourish. With the strategies and advice in this guide, you and your child will build sustainable bonds, develop positive behaviors, and improve executive functioning skills for life. And you'll find that conscious parenting helps create a calm and mindful atmosphere for the whole family, while helping your child feel competent, successful, and healthy.

Late, Lost, and Unprepared by Joyce Cooper-Kahn; Laurie C. Dietzel Executive functions are the cognitive skills that help us manage our lives and be successful. Children with weak executive skills, despite their best intentions, often do their homework, but forget to turn it in, wait until the last minute to start a project, lose things, or have a room that looks like a dump! The good news is that parents can do a lot to support and train their children to manage these frustrating and stressful weaknesses. Late, Lost, and Unprepared is a must-have book for parents of children from primary school through high school who struggle with: Impulse Control; Cognitive Flexibility; Initiation; Working Memory; Planning & Organizing; Self-monitoring. Written by clinical psychologists, Late, Lost, and Unprepared emphasizes the need for a two-pronged approach to intervention: 1) helping the child to manage demands in the short run, and 2) building independent skills for long-term self-management. Full of encouragement and practical strategies, the book's organization, short chapters with overviews, summaries, case studies, tips, and definitions, makes it easy to grasp concepts quickly and get started. Part I, What You Need to Know, provides information about: what executive functions are and how weaknesses in these skills affect development; the impact of weak executive function on children's emotional lives, and their familes; how professionals assess executive function problems; and associated conditions. Part II discusses What You Can Do About It including how to change behaviour and set reasonable expectations, and offers specific intervention strategies for children of different ages, varying needs, and profiles.

Smart but Scattered Teens by Richard Guare; Peg Dawson; Colin Guare "I told you, I'll do it later." "I forgot to turn in the stupid application." "Could you drive me to school? I missed the bus again." "I can't walk the dog--I have too much homework!" If you're the parent of a "smart but scattered" teen, trying to help him or her grow into a self-sufficient, responsible adult may feel like a never-ending battle. Now you have an alternative to micromanaging, cajoling, or ineffective punishments. This positive guide provides a science-based program for promoting teens' independence by building their executive skills--the fundamental brain-based abilities needed to get organized, stay focused, and control impulses and emotions. Executive skills experts Drs. Richard Guare and Peg Dawson are joined by Colin Guare, a young adult who has successfully faced these issues himself. Learn step-by-step strategies to help your teen live up to his or her potential now and in the future--while making your relationship stronger. Helpful worksheets and forms can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. See also the authors' Smart but Scattered (with a focus on 4- to 13-year-olds) and their self-help guide for adults. Plus, Work-Smart Academic Planner: Write It Down, Get It Done, designed for middle and high school students to use in conjunction with coaching, and related titles for professionals. Winner (Third Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Consumer Health Category  

Terrific Teddy's Focus Friend by Jim Forgan; Rob Barge (Illustrator) Terrific Teddy's Focus Friend is a book designed to help children who struggle to focus. In it, you'll meet Teddy - a smart kid who just seems to need a little extra help staying on task. His mom finds just the right tool - a Focus Friend! It's a great solution to a tough problem, and it's fun to see how Teddy learns to use his Focus Friend to help him in school and at home.This book is designed for a parent, grandparent, therapist or teacher to read to a child. In doing so, you form a team designed to help the child learn and grow, despite his or her learning differences. In the book's introduction, author and school psychologist Jim Forgan, Ph.D., explains executive functioning and how focus items can be best used to aid children.

Terrific Teddy's Excessive Energy by Jim Forgan; Rob Barge (Artist, Illustrator) Terrific Teddy's Excessive Energy is a book for children with ADD/ADHD, and for the adults who love them. Together, you'll meet 7-year-old Teddy - a great kid who has trouble paying attention, remembering the rules, and controlling all his energy. When his parents discover he has ADHD, they're able to get him the help he needs to make positive changes.This book is designed for a parent, grandparent or teacher to read to a child. In doing so, you form a team designed to help a child learn and grow, despite his or her learning differences. In the book's introduction, author and school psychologist Jim Forgan, Ph.D., explains how to discuss ADHD with children in a way that's hopeful and encouraging.

What Were You Thinking? by Bryan Smith; Lisa Griffin (Illustrator) This hilarious book for grades K-6 teaches children about learning to control their impulses. Third-grader Braden loves to be the center of attention. His comic genius, as he sees it, causes his friends to look at him in awe. But some poor decision-making, like ill-timed jokes in class and an impulsive reaction during gym that left a classmate teary-eyed and crumpled on the floor, forces the adults in Braden's life to teach him about impulse control. But will the lessons shared by his teachers and his mom really help Braden manage his impulses? Find out in this hilarious story by Bryan Smith.

The Frazzle Family Finds a Way by Ann Bonwill; Stephen Gammell (Illustrator) Every member of the Frazzle family is disastrously forgetful. Mr. Frazzle forgets his trousers, Wags the dog can't find bone, and Annie and Ben bring fishing poles and towels to school instead of their homework. Not even Aunt Rosemary with her organizational tips can help. But one day Annie has an idea that combines rhyme, recall, and song into a melodic way to remember in this warmhearted tribute to compensating for weaknesses.

Mrs. Gorski I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets by Barbara E; Mike Gordon (Illustrator) "Seven Year Fidget" Anniversary Edition

Master of Mindfulness by Laurie Grossman; Musumeci's Musumeci's 5th Grade Class; Angelina Alvarez; Jon Kabat-Zinn (Foreword by) Faster than a speeding spitball, more powerful than a playground bully, able to breeze through homework and finish nightly chores in a single bound, it s Master of Mindfulness here to conquer stress, worry, and any trouble that comes your way!Do you ever feel angry, disappointed, or stressed out about family problems, school, bullies, or trouble with friends? If so, mindfulness can help. Master of Mindfulness is a unique and empowering book written for kids by kids, with cool illustrations and tips that show you how to be confident, get focused, stay calm, and tap into your own inner strength so you can be your own superhero no matter what life throws your way!Childhood is supposed to be a happy, carefree time, but the truth is that all kids have stress especially when dealing with difficulties at school, at home, or with friends. Sometimes things happen in life that are hard, and you can t stop thinking about them, or you react too fast. You might be mad, sad, irritated, embarrassed, anxious, jealous, or even disappointed with yourself when things don t go the way you would ve hoped. And when you re really upset, it s hard to make good decisions you may end up doing something you later regret, or that gets you into trouble. You could probably use some help and fast! but where can you turn? This book will give you the skills you need to discover your own superpowers by showing you how mindfulness like stopping to take a few deep, mindful breaths can help you calm down and deal with things differently.Written by Laurie Grossman, cofounder of Mindful Schools, and Mr. Musumeci s fifth grade class at Reach Academy in Oakland, CA, Master of Mindfulness presents mindful activities proven to make it easier to pay attention, accept yourself and others, manage your anger, and even get to sleep at night. The book features cool, mixed media illustrations with real kids photos and stories about how mindfulness can help in different stressful situations. It even covers some of the brain science behind why mindfulness helps people to feel better, stay in the present moment, be kind, and make good decisions. The book includes easy and fun practices like mindful breathing, noticing your feelings, paying attention to your body, and mindful eating, as well as links to engaging audio recordings produced by Mr. Musumeci s students. And once you become a master of mindfulness, you can help others by sharing your superpower and teaching them how to do it, too.When things go wrong, or when you have scary thoughts or strong feelings, you may need help to sort it all out no matter how old you are. Learning and practicing mindfulness can make it easier to deal with the issues you face every day by showing you how to tap into your own inner strength in times of stress. So, why not use mindfulness and start being your own superhero today?

The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens by Sharon A. Hansen A wonderful resource for anyone who knows or works with teens who suffer from executive functioning disorder (EFD)--including parents, teachers, counselors, or clinicians. From handling frustration to taking notes in class, this book will help teens hone the skills they need to succeed. Do you know a teen who is disorganized, chronically late, forgetful, or impulsive? Do they struggle to get homework done, but never manage to turn it in on time? Perhaps it’s your son or daughter, a student you work with, or even a client. It’s likely that this teen suffers from executive functioning disorder (EFD), an attention disorder marked by an inability to stay on task that is common in people with learning disabilities. If this teen has tried to manage his or her time andmeet deadlines with little success, he or she may feel like giving up. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. You just need to show them the way. InThe Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens  a licensed school counselor provides an evidence-based, easy-to-use, and practical workbook written directly for a teen audience. The book is designed to provide teens with the skills needed to get organized, retain information, communicate effectively, and perform well in school and in everyday life. Based in proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the book offers activities that will help teens better understand their disorder and cope with it effectively. With one chapter for each of the ten main areas of EFD, the book also includes tips for initiating positive action and change, improving flexibility in thinking, sustaining attention, organizing, planning, enhancing memory, managing emotions, and building self-awareness. Written in a fun, engaging format, this book is designed to motivate and inspire teens to carry out and complete tasks with ease.