Smart but Scattered The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential

by Dawson, Peg; Guare, Richard

• ISBN13: 9781593854454
• ISBN10: 1593854455
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-02
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

"There's nothing more frustrating than watching your bright, talented son or daughter struggle with everyday tasks like finishing homework, putting away toys, or following instructions at school. Your "smart but scattered" child might also have trouble coping with disappointment or managing anger. Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare have great news: there's a lot you can do to help. The latest research in child development shows that many kids who have the brain and heart to succeed lack or lag behind in crucial "executive skills" - the fundamental habits of mind required for getting organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. Learn easy-to-follow steps to identify your child's strengths and weaknesses, use activities and techniques proven to boost specific skills, and problem-solve daily routines. Small changes can add up to big improvements - this empowering book shows how."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Peg Dawson, EdD, is a staff psychologist at the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Dr. Dawson is a past president of both the National Association of School Psychologists and the International School Psychology Association. She is a recipient of the National Association of School Psychologists' Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Richard Guare, PhD, is a neuropsychologist and Director of the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders. His research and publications focus on understanding and treatment of learning and attention difficulties and neurological disorders. Board certified as a behavior analyst, Dr. Guare frequently consults to schools and agencies.

 

Drs. Dawson and Guare have over 30 years of experience working with children with learning, attention, and behavior difficulties. Together, they are the authors of Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents, a practical guide for school professionals.

Table of Contents

Introduction

What Makes Your Child Smart But Scattered

How Did Such a Smart Kid End Up So Scattered?

Identifying Your Child's Strengths and Weaknesses

How Your Own Executive Strengths and Weaknesses Matter

Matching the Child to the Task

Laying a Foundation That Can Help

Ten Principles for Improving Your Child's Executive Skills

Modifying the Environment:AIs forAntecedent

Teaching Executive Skills Directly:BIs forBehavior

Motivating Your Child to Learn and Use Executive Skills:CIs forConsequence

Putting It All Together

Advance Organizer

Ready-Made Plans for Teaching Your Child to Complete Daily Routines

Building Response Inhibition

Enhancing Working Memory

Improving Emotional Control

Strengthening Sustained Attention

Teaching Task Initiation

Promoting Planning and Prioritizing

Fostering Organization

Instilling Time Management

Encouraging Flexibility

Increasing Goal-Directed Persistence

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.