Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention

Practical Intervention in the Schools Series

by Peg Dawson, Richard Guare

More than 100,000 school practitioners and teachers (K–12) have benefited from the step-by-step guidelines and practical tools in this influential go-to resource, now revised and expanded with six new chapters. The third edition presents effective ways to assess students' strengths and weaknesses, create supportive instructional environments, and promote specific skills, such as organization, time management, sustained attention, and emotional control. Strategies for individualized and classwide intervention are illustrated with vivid examples and sample scripts. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes 38 reproducible forms and handouts. Purchasers get access to a webpage where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

New to This Edition
*Chapter with guidance and caveats for developing individual education programs (IEPs), 504 Plans, and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).
*Chapters on working with students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder.
*Three guest-authored chapters describing exemplary schoolwide applications.
*More student centered--provides a template for involving children in intervention decision making.
*Fully updated with the latest developments in the field.

This book is in The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series, edited by Sandra M. Chafouleas.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Adhd, Parenting, Psychology, Teaching, Childrens

332 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2003

About the author

Peg Dawson, Ed.D., received her doctorate in school/child clinical psychology from the University of Virginia. She worked as a school psychologist for 16 years in Maine and New Hampshire, and, for the past 18 years has worked at the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she
specializes in the assessments of children and adults with learning and attention disorders and provides training on assessment, attention deficits, learning disabilities and executive skills.
Peg has many years of organizational experience at the state, national, and international level, and served in many capacities, including president, of the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the International School Psychology Association. She has also participated in many of NASP’s leadership initiatives, including the Futures Conference and the development of both the second and third Blueprint for the Training and Practice of School Psychology. She is the 2006 recipient of the National Association of School Psychologists’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
Peg has written numerous articles and book chapters on retention, ability grouping, reading disorders, attention disorders, the use of interviews in the assessment process, and homework. Along with her colleague, Dr. Richard Guare, she has written several books, including a manual on coaching students with attention disorders as well as books for both parents and professionals on executive skills.

Reviews

[Mark]

If you are a learning support teacher, parent, guidance counselor or otherwise associated with educational enterprises, and you are looking for a good book on executive skills--what they are and how they affect learning and behavior in the classroom, how to assess them in children and adolescents, and how to coach students who struggle with these essential cognitive skills--than this is a book well worth reading. Moreover, its generous menu of solutions and interventions for remedying weaknesses in executive skills are indispensable and therefore well worth trying out with your students or children.

[Juliana Haught · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago, and now treat this book more as a reference book. This goes over what the term "executive skills" means (no, it's not to be a company executive), and the ways that challenges with any of those areas affect children at home and school, and various accommodations and interventions to help.

[Nathalie Van Beek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een heel fijn naslagwerk, minder geschikt om als 'studeerboek' in zijn geheel door te lezen, maar toch leerzaam. Er staan talloze praktische voorbeelden in en stappenplannen om te gebruiken, voornamelijk voor schoolse situaties. Ik ga dit boek vast nog vaak erbij pakken om iets op te zoeken!

[Jennifer Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be a book I will keep coming back to. After interrupted and remote learning, students are struggling to keep up. I have a feeling it’s due to a lack of executive functioning skills.

[Heather Marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would argue anyone would benefit from reading this book.

[Tom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reads like something out of the 50s. One step away from corporal punishment.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best practical guide for intervention with ADHD deficits and executive functioning in the classroom.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can absolutely see myself using many of these strategies and assessments in my work. I thought the vignettes and reproducible assessments were great tools for understanding how executive functioning deficits impact students of all ages. Unlike many other professional books on the subject, this book did not ignore that strategies can be very different for middle/high school students. Often, I read executive functioning books and find them geared toward elementary students only. The strategies shared here were age respectful and adaptable.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I homeschool a daughter who is dyslexic and has some major deficiencies in these areas. I loved this book! It gave me concrete ways to help her grow that organizational muscle memory in appropriate ways! It isn't written for someone who just wants skim. It's written for those who need specific ideas on how to help those children with these problems. I highly recommend.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to screen it for possible use as a reference for my grad students. It's pretty good as far as that goes. Although I was also hoping for some new insight into teaching my middle schoolers. It's only okay on that front. Ah well.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

For educators not for parents. Excellent book. If you want to read the parent version, check out "Smart but Scattered" by the same authors. Will be using this a lot in my classes this year (and in my family!)

[Rachael Howell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too scientific, hard to read and get into. I only skimmed it.

[Frank Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

has very good practical suggestions and materials to use

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as useful as I expected but added a few strategies to the repertoire. Interesting to read in light of Russell Barkley's revisionist thinking.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to follow explanation of executive function and how it develops over time. If your students are scattered and ADHD-like, this book may prove insightful.

[Gena · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are trying to understand why your child, or your student, or your client are struggling, this could be a good read for you. I've used it primarily for work related purposes.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource with information and tools that can be used immediately to build & reinforce executive function skills in students both inthe classroom and 1:1

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clinical, but full of good applicable advise.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Explanation of executive skills and interventions. Very dry.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful but nothing earth shattering

[Gris Mcksomething · Rating 5 out of 5]

For people that work in the school system, this is a great read/reference. Usable