Before getting into the topic of this blog, I’d like to mention that I have received inquiries with
questions or comments in response to some blog posts. If you write a response in the box “Do you have a question for Ask the Doctor?” on the right under my photo and do not put a contact email or phone number I have no way of responding. Most of the responses I receive from readers are personal in nature so I will not respond with a public response on the blog. If you do not want to write a contact email or phone number but would like me to respond to you please email me at watg@watg.org and put “Ask the Doctor” as the subject. I will be able to respond privately by replying to your email. If you write with a comment or topic suggestion that is not personal then the box under my photo is just fine. Thanks for reading and posting comments and questions. As I interact with many parents and teachers I often hear comments about Executive Function. Comments are usually about children and youth who have problems getting a job done, keeping their desk or room straightened up, changing direction at the spur of the moment, remembering what he/she was supposed to do, or turning in homework or a big project. These children and youth often baffle their parents and teachers. The adults just can’t figure out why the child can talk about complex ideas and concepts but can’t remember that it is time for lunch. Executive function is generally thought to be multiple brain activities working together to enable humans to live in the world with others, and involve three areas: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive or mental flexibility (Center on the Developing Child, 2016). According to Dr. George McCloskey “Executive functions are responsible for a person’s ability to engage in purposeful, organized, strategic, self-regulated, goal-directed behavior” (2011). Many people expect gifted children and youth to have advanced skills in all areas so observers are often surprised when these gifted people have difficulties like the ones I list above. Since many gifted children and youth have asynchronous development, many have problems with executive functioning. Sometimes schools may identify executive function difficulties as a disability and may recommend special education services. For gifted children this may or may not be a true disability. Careful analysis of the whole child must be made. Gifted children and youth need guidance and practice to help improve their executive function skills so they develop into functioning adults who can make a difference in their world, even if that world is their own family. There are many resources available from a simple Internet search using the key words ‘Executive Function.’ When doing your own exploring be sure to look for reputable, reliable resources as there are many falsehoods found on the Internet. Below is a list of several reliable resources as a place to begin your exploration. Have fun! You may just learn something about yourself in the process. Executive Function Internet Resources Executive Function and Self-Regulation (text and video) Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, 2016 http://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/ The following four resources are links found on the webpage above. InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning (video, PDF) Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-executive-function-skills-for-life-and-learning/ Activities Guide: Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence (PDFs by age) Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive- function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/ Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function (20 page paper) Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/building-the-brains-air-traffic-control-system-how-early- experiences-shape-the-development-of-executive-function/ Training Module: Executive Function (Six part series) Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/training-module-executive-function/ How Family Game Night Makes Kids into Better Students (article) The Atlantic, Jessica Lahey (author, English teacher), July 16, 2014 http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/07/how-family-game-night-makes-kids-into- better-students/374525/ Tips for Parents: Executive Function at Home and School (PDF) Davidson Institute for Talent Development, 2012 http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10523.aspx Executive Function 101 eBook (PDF) https://www.understood.org/~/media/images/categorized/ebooks/executivefunction101ebook.pdf Executive Functions: A General Overview (PDF) George McCloskey, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2011 http://www.fasp.org/PDF_Files/School_Neuropsychology/Executive_Functions- A_General_Overview_McCloskey.pdf Strengthening Executive Function in Children: Tips for Parents and Practitioners Search Institute, 2015 (PDF) http://www.search-institute.org/downloadable/exec-function-feb-2015.pdf Book: Smart but Scattered. Peg Dawson, and Richard Guare. The Guilford Press, 2009.
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