Executive Function "Dysfunction" - Strategies for Educators and Parents

by Rebecca A. Moyes

Concise and accessible, this plain English guide will help parents and educators to understand and support children with executive function difficulties at home and in the classroom. The author describes the cognitive processes that make up the executive functions, including attention, behavioral inhibition, theory of mind, organizational skills, time management, planning, decision-making, and self-talk. Using real examples, she describes how difficulties in each of these areas may manifest, and offers practical hints, tips, and accommodations for supporting children both in and out of school. Containing a wealth of helpful information as well as tried-and-tested strategies, this is the perfect primer for parents and educators of children with executive function difficulties.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Christine]

[p 70] "These children can't seem to remember what it is they need, complete tasks without prompting or multiple reminders, adhere to deadlines, or keep an orderly environment (desk, locker, room, closet). Many adults in these kids' lives adopt an authoritative response as a means of dealing with these frustrating behaviors...What adults in these situations end up doing, however, is punishing [p 71] incompetence. Children with executive function deficits have a genuine problem with staying organized, and it's not a choice...visual supports...[p 73] Video-models are short videos that show the steps to completing a task, and they are very useful. A 'before' and 'after' photo of the task can also be helpful...It may be useful to divide the task into smaller 'chunks' with photos of each 'chunk'."

[Holly Canup · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a short book with valuable resources and information for teachers and parents who need to advocate for their child. I wish I had had this book when my son was younger. He is now 21 and doing well in a hands on technology program in college. He learns differently. I am thankful for a school system that did their best to teach him the way he needed. It wasn’t perfect, and I was at every IEP meeting advocating, and I can’t discount his ability to compensate. This book helped me understand what we/he went through. I’ll now pass it on to my teacher friends.

[Rylie Hawks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very informative read — especially if you are (or are becoming) a teacher! This has definitely given me some insight and tips for when I begin teaching.

“If they can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”

[Therese · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disappointing :( I was eager to learn some ideas for supporting these types of students but this book unfortunately lacked greatly in this area even though that’s what the title says.