Reflection
- Initial Sessions on executive functioning felt like lecturing.
- It was very difficult to do with a large group.
- I had trouble with having a collaborative session.
- Break-though session
- Success when reminding students of safe space and confidentiality.
- Benefit/Limitation: Modified for a group approach.
About the Program
- Book: Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare
- Cost: $12-18
- Age Range: Preschool - Eighth Grade
- Model:
- 1) Most individuals have an array of executive skill strengths as well as executive skill weaknesses.
- 2) The primary purpose of identifying areas of weakness is to be able to design and implement interventions to address those areas of weakness.
- Individual program
- Research- biology and growth of brain functions
Questions?
Thank You!
Background Information
Executive Functioning
- Participants
- 21 Eighth Grade Students (14 Females and 7 Males)
- 13-14 years-old
- Referral Concern: Students are having difficulty adjusting and transitioning to the many changes in the school. As well as student concerns of graduating and moving onto high school.
- Counseling Goal: Students will increase their self awareness of physical and mental organization (i.e. being prepared for class, actively participating, respecting other's space) through teacher observation in 3 of 5 weeks of counseling.
- Group Goal: "Be successful by getting organized and focusing on graduating on June 7th."
Group Counseling Approach
The Process
What is executive function?
- 11 brain-based skills that are required for humans to perform tasks
10 themed weeks of group counseling
Pre-counseling Survey
Progress monitoring
- End of every session there is an exit slip
Application
- Check-in
- Introduce the topic
- Use book's goals and definitions
- Have students talk about how definition applies to their lives
- Have students discuss how to reach an executive function goal
- End on a reiteration of how the executive skill can help the group.
Executive Functioning
Group Counseling With Anthony Duong