Smart But Scattered Teens

Uses key principles from the business world to help teens get organized, stay focused, and control their impulses.

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" 4- to 13-year-old 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. Helpful worksheets and forms can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Small changes can add up to big improvements--this empowering book shows how. See also the authors' Smart but Scattered Teens and their self-help guide for adults. Plus, an academic planner for middle and high school students and related titles for professionals.

"I told you, I'll do it later." "I forgot to turn in the stupid application." "Could you drive me to school? I missed the bus again." "I can't walk the dog--I have too much homework!" If you're the parent of a "smart but scattered" teen, trying to help him or her grow into a self-sufficient, responsible adult may feel like a never-ending battle. Now you have an alternative to micromanaging, cajoling, or ineffective punishments. This positive guide provides a science-based program for promoting teens' independence by building their executive skills--the fundamental brain-based abilities needed to get organized, stay focused, and control impulses and emotions. Executive skills experts Drs. Richard Guare and Peg Dawson are joined by Colin Guare, a young adult who has successfully faced these issues himself. Learn step-by-step strategies to help your teen live up to his or her potential now and in the future--while making your relationship stronger. Helpful worksheets and forms can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. See also the authors' Smart but Scattered (with a focus on 4- to 13-year-olds) and their self-help guide for adults. Plus, Work-Smart Academic Planner: Write It Down, Get It Done, designed for middle and high school students to use in conjunction with coaching, and related titles for professionals. Winner (Third Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Consumer Health Category

"Meeting a huge demand, Peg Dawson and Richard Guare (authors of the bestselling Smart but Scattered books focusing on kids and teens) now provide a state of the art resource specifically geared to adults. Drs. Dawson and Guare offer expert guidance for boosting executive skills--the core brain based abilities needed to get more done with less stress. Readers will be drawn in by realistic examples, self quizzes, and science based tools for strengthening time management, organization, emotional control, and more. And what you can't change, you can work around! The book is packed with simple yet effective strategies for maintaining focus, conquering clutter, staying on top of work demands, and taming the chaos of family life. Numerous worksheets and forms (which purchasers can download and print in a convenient 8

Whether you're a young adult who is stalled on the journey to independence--or a concerned parent still sharing the family nest--this compassionate book is for you. Providing a fresh perspective on the causes of failure to launch, the expert authors present a 10-step plan that helps grown kids and parents work together to achieve liftoff. Learn why brain-based executive skills such as planning, organization, and time management are so important to success, and what you can do to strengthen them. You get downloadable practical tools for figuring out what areas to target, building skills, identifying a desired career path, and making a customized action plan. Vivid stories of other families navigating the same challenges (including father and son Richard and Colin Guare) reveal what kind of parental support is productive--and when to let go.

This book has been replaced by Coaching Students with Executive Skills Challenges, Second Edition, ISBN 978-1-4625-5219-1.

From executive skills experts Peg Dawson and Richard Guare, this large-format academic planner is specially designed for students in grades 6-12. It provides a system for keeping track of assignments and due dates while developing the crucial executive skills needed to succeed in school and beyond. Students are guided to build a daily study plan, manage their time, set short- and long-term goals, study for tests, and record their successes. They also get tools for evaluating their own executive skills in order to target their weaknesses and capitalize on strengths.

A wonderful resource for anyone who knows or works with teens who suffer from executive functioning disorder (EFD)—including parents, teachers, counselors, or clinicians. From handling frustration to taking notes in class, this book will help teens hone the skills they need to succeed. Do you know a teen who is disorganized, chronically late, forgetful, or impulsive? Do they struggle to get homework done, but never manage to turn it in on time? Perhaps it’s your son or daughter, a student you work with, or even a client. It’s likely that this teen suffers from executive functioning disorder (EFD), an attention disorder marked by an inability to stay on task that is common in people with learning disabilities. If this teen has tried to manage his or her time and meet deadlines with little success, he or she may feel like giving up. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. You just need to show them the way. In The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens a licensed school counselor provides an evidence-based, easy-to-use, and practical workbook written directly for a teen audience. The book is designed to provide teens with the skills needed to get organized, retain information, communicate effectively, and perform well in school and in everyday life. Based in proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the book offers activities that will help teens better understand their 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, organizing, planning, enhancing memory, managing emotions, and building self-awareness. Written in a fun, engaging format, this book is designed to motivate and inspire teens to carry out and complete tasks with ease.