Are you disorganised, chronically late, forgetful, or impulsive? Do you struggle to get your homework done, but never manage to turn it in on time? It may not be your fault. You might have executive functioning disorder (EFD), an attention disorder marked by an inability to stay on task that is common in people with learning disabilities. If you have tried to better manage your time and meet deadlines with little success, you may feel like giving up.
The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens is an easy-to-use, practical workbook written by a licensed school counsellor, and it will provide you with the skills needed to get organised, retain information, communicate effectively, and perform well in school and everyday life. Based in proven-effective cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the book offers activities that will help you better understand your 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, organising, planning, enhancing memory, managing emotions, and building self-awareness. Written in a fun, engaging format, this book is designed to motivate and inspire you to carry out and complete tasks with ease.
From handling frustration to taking notes in class, this book will help you hone the skills you need to succeed.
For Teens
For Parents
Activity 1. Executive Skills Self-Assessment
Activity 2. Seeing Yourself
Activity 3. Defeating Your "Beast"
Activity 4. Slow Motion
Activity 5. Spotting Disorganisation
Activity 6. Clean Sweep!
Activity 7. Organisational Tools
Activity 8. How Do You Use Your Time?
Activity 9. Scheduling Your Time
Activity 10. Daily Planning
Activity 11. Where Do Feelings Come From?
Activity 12. Understanding Your Feelings
Activity 13. Handling Your Negative Feelings
Activity 14. What's an Impulse?
Activity 15. Look Before You Leap
Activity 16. Standing Up to Your Peers
Activity 17. Flexibility
Activity 18. Improvising
Activity 19. Perspective Matters
Activity 20. Procrastination Problems
Activity 21. Break it Down!
Activity 22. Helping Hand
Activity 23. What's in Your Environment?
Activity 24. Delayed Gratification
Activity 25. The Centre of Attention
Activity 26. Improving Your Working Memory
Activity 27. Using Mnemonics
Activity 28. Teach an Old Brain New Tricks
Activity 29. Letter to Your Future Self
Activity 30. STICK to It!
Activity 31. If at First You Don't Succeed
"I think it would be an invaluable resource for executive skills coaches and for teachers developing executive skills seminars for groups of students. The activities and exercises are versatile enough that they could be used with individual students or with groups of students-and coaches and seminar leaders could easily pick and choose which executive skills to emphasize and which exercises to use."
- Peg Dawson, psychologist and author of several books on executive skills, including Smart but Scattered
"Many teens struggle with executive functioning challenges, especially those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, high functioning autism, or other conditions. This workbook gives these teens (and their parents) strategies to improve their executive functions, which means they can develop skills to improve their lives."
- Dr. Kenny Handelman, author of Attention Difference Disorder
"An excellent resource for students, educators and families. As a middle school counselor, I will definitely use this as a tool to help our students succeed in the area of executive functioning!"
- Lisa Koenecke, Wisconsin School Counselor Association President