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.

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.

Preface. Six Case Vignettes. A Conceptual Model of Executive Functions. A General Holarchical Model of Executive Function Processes from an Integral Perspective. Executive Function Development and Related Issues. Assessment of Executive Function Capacities. Academic Skill Development and Assessment of Executive Functions. Interventions for Executive Function Difficulties. Executive Functions in the School Setting. Case Study. Summary.