What is Executive Functioning?

Wanzenberg and Associates was founded, in part, in an effort to provide support for students who exhibit any number of executive skills dysfunction or inefficiency:

Inhibition: the ability to stop a behavior at the appropriate time

Shift: moving from one activity to another and adapting to various academic demands in a reasonable time

Emotional Control: modulation of emotional responses by bringing rational thought and coping strategies to the situation

Initiation: the ability to begin a task independently; generating ideas, responses, problem solving strategies

Planning/Organization: the ability to manage current and future demands, including time and task management

Organization of Materials: imposing order on school materials and storage spaces

Self-monitoring: soliciting a student’s participation in the examination and evaluation of his/her own progress

Self-Awareness: assisting a student with an accurate and functional picture of her strengths and needs as a student with a disability

It is our experience that these needs are often accommodated or even marginalized as “laziness” by many school teams.  We provide valid evaluation, research-based interventions, and individualized and direct instruction in support of these needs.

Dr. Wanzenberg has taught graduate level coursework to teachers and administrators in the planning and implementation of this executive skills curricula.

Each student’s executive skills portfolio is developed with ample evaluative information, realistic timelines, and opportunities for ongoing support and feedback.

Typically, executive skills instruction is conducted twice a week at our office in Glen Ellyn, although we have made prior arrangements for service provision in study alcoves of your local public library.

The student and family always contribute to a set of goals statements that drive the intervention plan.  Most intervention intervals occur within a 6 month period, although in some cases, is supported on an ongoing basis as academic demands increase and change.

The efficacy of this model is well established in the literature, and best revealed by the success of students who participate in this curricula.

While the model is designed to support the needs of a broad range of learners, we have developed a satellite curriculum for students with Autism Spectrum Needs.

Please contact us for an overview of our services in this area.