The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens: Help for Unprepared, Late, and Scattered Teens

by Sharon A. Hansen MSE NBCT

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 and meet 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. In The 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.

Genres: Adhd, Nonfiction, Parenting, Teaching, Self Help, Social, Self Reliance

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway.

I really enjoyed the author's format and approach. As the parent of two teens I will be sharing with them. I also work with teens in foster care and can see that they also struggle with many of the issues in this workbook. I will be sharing this with my colleagues and believe this workbook could be helpful to many of the young people we serve.

(Quite honestly, this could be useful to anyone in your life struggling with executive functioning tasks--- the examples are geared to evens but the exercises are fairly adaptable)

Thanks again, one of the nice surprises in my several wins at goodreads. Well done!

[Gerard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really helpful book to guide you through your way raising teens. However, it is also useful for those disorganized people out there that could use a hand here or there.
Being in a relationship with someone that has ADD, I feel like this book can help me out with some of the problems we experience, even though it was aimed at teenagers.
I am hoping that this book will still be relevant in about 6 years or so, when my step daughter comes to an age where she will be considered teenager.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Scharenjo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book includes some practical exercises for teens to use in order to increase their awareness of their executive functioning skills and to develop their skills. I am looking forward to using the self-assessment with students to help guide the interventions we focus on in individual sessions. Exercise 23 will probably need to be modified because it asks students to select their technology devices and the book was published in 2013. However, that's an easy adjustment to make--simply ask kids to list their tech devices instead of select from the list.

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A variety of tips that can support teens with executive functioning setbacks/deficits. Overall it appears somewhat inconsistent with accessibility and developmental appropriateness and lacks information about implementing tools supportively/realistically (from a parent/caregiver perspective). I can see this as a good place to start, but not the best place to polish up and fill in gaps with executive functioning for tweens/teens.

[Annaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt a little patronizing and basic at times to me, but overall is a good tool for teens that face executive function challenges.

[Elaine Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo! Finally a book that is written directly to teens! This workbook offers practical and easy exercises to help teens improve their executive functioning skills, something that is sorely lacking in many teenagers today. I really appreciate the short scenarios at the beginning of each activity. This provides something an individual can relate to and really grab ahold of prior to starting an activity. I can't wait to share this book with our students, parents and staff.

[Haven Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in a goodreads giveaway and found this book to be very helpful in helping my daughter with her organization. I held off immediately reviewing this book in order to see its long term effects. I was pleasantly surprised to see my child (who has ADD and mild autism) become more prepared for her class assignments. I will be passing this book on to anyone that it may help.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boys are shown to develop their frontal lobes much later than girls...explaining many of their disorganized behavior. It looks like it would be helpful if the teen is willing to do it. Many of the pages look pretty elementary, and geared more toward a very young crowd, maybe 10-11 instead of 15-16 year old.

I won this as a giveway, and am submitting this review.

[Karen Sudom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great explanation of vocabulary and ideas to think through and practice applying skills.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for parents of kids with executive functioning difficulties.

[Wendy]

It is a useful book in therapy with children with ADHD, which I should be reclassified as an Executive Function Disorder, and ODD. The 40 question quiz helps us identify which executive functions are most critical to address, and there are 3 activities for each of 10 executive function challenges. Using these guides discussion of therapy, and to search for other activities and supports to help the client and their family scaffold success in their home, and at school. It has been practical and useful with my truly ADHD and ODD clients. It is not useful with more complicated Executive Function Disorders such as FASD, prenatal exposure, ASD.