Executive Function

For more information about assessing executive function in children, please see Assessment

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For resources on executive function, please see below:

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Who moved my cheese? (Johnson, 1999): This popular book teaches students to transition with less anxiety by studying the mice in the book. This popular book is available in both an elementary and teen version that students can read or listen to. Discussing the story can be meaningful for all students, especially those who are hesitant to try new activities.

 

Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents’ Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning (Cooper-Kahn & Dietzel, 2008): This book presents practice strategies for parents of children from primary school through high school who struggle with Impulse Control (taking turns, interrupting others, running off), Cognitive Flexibility (adapting to new situations, transitions, handling frustration), Initiation (starting homework, chores, projects), Working Memory (following directions, note-taking, reading and retaining info), Planning & Organizing (completing and turning in homework, juggling schedules), and Self-monitoring (making careless errors, staying on topic, getting into trouble but not understanding why).

 

Smart But Scattered (Dawson & Guare,2009): This book guides how to deal with day-to-day problems experienced by children, including following instructions in the classroom, doing homework, completing chores, reducing performance anxiety, and staying calm under pressure.

 

Executive Functioning Skills in Children and Adolescents, Second Edition: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention (Dawson & Guare 2010): This book provides a range of helpful and practical intervention strategies that facilitate an integrated approach across home, school, and child.