Smart but Scattered: Strengthening Executive Skills in Children & Adolescents

Presented by Peg Dawson, Ed.D., NCSP

Friday, October 21, 2016  |  Calgary, ab

Date & Location

Executive function is a neuropsychological concept referring to the cognitive processes required to plan and direct activities. Skills include task initiation and follow through, working memory, sustained attention, performance monitoring, inhibition of impulses, and goal-directed persistence. While the ground-work for development of these skills occurs before birth, they develop gradually through the first two decades of life. But from the moment that children begin to interact with their environment, adults have expectations for how they will use executive skills to negotiate many of the demands of childhood – from the self-regulation of behaviour required to act responsibly, to the planning and initiation skills required to complete chores and homework. Parents and teachers expect children to use executive skills even though they may little understand what these skills are and how they impact behaviour and school performance.

The importance of executive skills to overall cognitive functioning first became apparent in work with children and teenagers who had sustained traumatic brain injuries. Problems involving planning and organization, time management, and memory, as well as weaknesses with inhibition and regulation of emotions, have long described a significant component of traumatic brain injury. Executive skills have also assumed an important role in the explanation of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

This workshop will begin by providing an overview of executive skills, including definitions and a description of the developmental progression of these skills in the first two decades of life. The approach to understanding executive skills presented in this workshop is structured around two key concepts: 1) that most individuals have an executive skills profile that includes both strengths and weaknesses; and 2) by defining executive skills discretely rather than grouping them in broader categories, it is possible to design interventions to address specific deficits that lend themselves to data-based decision making. Workshop participants will gain a deeper understanding both of the model being presented and of their own executive skills profile.

The heart of the workshop will address how to assess executive skills and develop interventions designed to address specific executive skill weaknesses.

Who Should Attend

Education and Clinical Professionals: All education and mental health or healthcare professionals who work with children or youth including, but not limited to K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors, Learning Assistance/Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers • All other professionals who support behavioural challenges and complex learning needs including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers and Community Police Officers.

Agenda

Part I: Overview of Executive Skills

•  Definitions
• Underlying theory
• Executive skills in the context of brain function and child development

Part II: Assessment of Executive Skills

•  Parent/teacher/student interviews
•  Behaviour Rating Scales
• Observations
•  Informal Assessment
•  Formal Assessment

Part III: Three Intervention Strategies

•  Environmental modifications to reduce the impact of weak executive skills
•  Teaching strategies/routines to help youngsters develop/improve executive functioning
•  Using incentives to help youngsters practice or use skills that are difficult

Part IV: Coaching as an Effective Strategy for Building Executive Skills

• Overview of coaching
• Description of 2-stage process
• Coaching with younger children
• Clinical case examples
• Description of research studies supporting the efficacy of coaching

Learning Objectives

• Define executive skills and identify how executive skills impact school performance and daily living
• Use assessment tools to identify executive dysfunction
•  Access a repertoire of strategies to improve executive skills in students
• Design your own intervention strategies tailored to the needs of individual students
• Utilize classroom-wide interventions to improve executive skills

Your Presenter

Peg Dawson, Ed.D., NCSP

Dr. Peg Dawson: In over 40 years of clinical practice, Dr. Peg Dawson has worked with thousands of children who struggle at home and in school. At the center of their struggles are often weak executive skills. Along with her colleague, Dr. Richard Guare, she has written numerous books on this topic for educators, mental health professionals, and parents, among them Smart but Scattered, Smart but Scattered Teens, Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents, and Coaching Students with Executive Skills Deficits. Peg is also a past president of the National Association of School Psychologists, and the International School Psychology Association, and is a recipient of NASP’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Testimonials

“Dr. Dawson is incredibly informative and provided exceptional clarity on executive functioning skills. She was generous with her materials and I left feeling much more confident in how I can approach students that are struggling. This was so useful to me and I would highly recommend this workshop to ANYONE who has questions.”
– Calgary, AB | November 5 – 6, 2019

“This course was very interesting and engaging. Peg was incredibly knowledgeable, shared amazing resources and gave real like examples of how her strategies have worked and been implemented. Would highly recommend her course to other teachers and professionals.”
– Ottawa, ON | October 30 – 31, 2019

“Great presenter with a realistic, positive approach, who drew capable on her experiences. I was certainly glad I attended today’s session!”
-Halifax, NS | June 5, 2014

“Wow! Thank you. I will use what I gained in the classroom and at home – with myself, my students, my colleagues and my family.”
-Jodie K. (Grade 1 Teacher) | Edmonton, AB | June 3, 2014

“Excellent speaker – engaging and funny!”
-Marie (Mental Health Worker, Alberta Health Services) | Lethbridge, AB | April 29, 2014

“Fabulous as always. Wish I could provide feedback that was helpful, but I’m always very happy with all aspects of Dr. Dawson’s presentations – this is the third I’ve attended.”
-Natasha (School Psychologist) | Halifax, NS | June 5, 2014

“I really enjoyed the balance of research and personal anecdotes. Very informative – I definitely recognized many kids on my caseload in the examples and feel like I have some more tools to use to help them. Thank you.”
-Lethbridge, AB | April 29, 2014

“Excellent and most engaging speaker. The information shared was very helpful, practical, and will definitely enhance my practice working with struggling students. Thank you so much.”
-Halifax, NS | June 5, 2014

“Very thorough and professional.”
-Kathryn (Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation) | Edmonton, AB | June 3, 2014

“The workshop content and presenter was absolutely excellent and very insightful! I will definitely attend another workshop by Peg Dawson if I get the opportunity.”
-Halifax, NS | June 5, 2014

Registration & Fees