Assessment and Intervention for Executive Function Difficulties

In Assessment and Intervention for Executive Function Difficulties, McCloskey, Perkins, and Diviner provide a unique blend of theory, research, and practice that offers clinicians an overarching framework for the concept of executive functions (EFs) in educational settings. The conceptual model of executive functions is detailed, including their role in behavior, learning, and production across all settings. The heart of the book focus on the practical issues involved in the use of assessment tools, tests, report writing, and the implementation and follow-up of targeted interventions using the EF model. Six case studies are introduced in Chapter 1 and followed throughout the book, building understanding of the executive function difficulties of each child, assessment for identifying the difficulties, and interventions for dealing with the difficulties. An additional case study is discussed in detail in one of the concluding chapters, and downloadable resources will provide the practitioner with a wealth of assessment forms, parent and teacher handouts, behavior tracking charts, and report/documentation forms.

This book fills a gap in knowledge regarding the critical role of executive functions. It will be invaluable to professionals who are concerned with the evaluation and treatment of educational and mental health problems. Nancy Mather, PhD, is professor of learning disabilities at the University of Arizona and co-author of the Woodcock-Johnson IIIThe authors masterfully weave the emotional plight of six students to illustrate the most comprehensive model of executive functioning capacities in children to date. Logically written and skillfully crafted, each chapter sets a new standard for assessing and remediating executive functioning deficits in children. Steven G. Feifer, EdD, NCSP, ABSNP, is a school neuropsychologist in the Maryland public school system and a nationally renowned speaker in the field of learning disabilitiesFor the first time, we have the translation of theory and research of executive functions applied straight into practice. It is an outstanding resource that will become the ‘gold standard’ for evaluating and treating children with a variety of executive function disorders. Elaine Fletcher-Janzen, EdD, NCSP, has a private practice in Cleveland, Ohio

George McCloskey, Ph.D., is a Professor and Director of School Psychology Research in the Psychology Department of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). He is also the Director of the SPARK Project (School Psychologists Adopting Refined Knowledge) for the New York City Department of Education, which involves updated skills training for 1100 school psychologists. He maintains a private practice that involves consulting with state departments of education, universities, and school districts, and performing independent evaluations and conducting interventions for schools and private clients.Lisa A. Perkins, M.S., has been a school psychologist in Connecticut public schools for most of the past three decades. She currently maintains a private practice at the Family Study Center in Danbury, CT, focusing on independent psychoeducational evaluations of children, adolescents, and adults and conducting interventions for schools and clients. She is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), where she is completing her Psy.D. in School Psychology.Bob R. Van Divner, M.S., is a Pennsylvania certified school psychologist. He is currently the Coordinator of Admissions Assessment at the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He also maintains a private practice, where he provides individual and family therapy and acts as a behavioral consultant to families and schools.