McNulty LCSW-C - Focus and Thrive: Executive Functioning Strategies for Teens: Tools to Get Organized, Plan Ahead, and Achieve Your Goals

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All persons likeness disclaimer: There are several examples used in this book of experiences from teens and young adults. I have changed these cases and all potentially identifying information to maintain client confidentiality. These stories are drawn from my clinical work over the last decade, and I have worked to maintain the underlying nature of the challenges faced in each case while maintaining the privacy of clients.

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Illustrations 2020 Mando Daniel, cover; YouWorkForThem Design Studio, pp..

ISBN: Print 978-1-64739-651-0 | eBook 978-1-64739-652-7

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To Tim, whose support made this possible. And
to Molly and Lucy, who always know what to
say despite the fact that they are dogs.

CONTENTS

Dear Parents,

I have been lucky enough to serve as an ally to countless teens as they strengthen their executive functioning skills. These bright, enthusiastic kids come to me when they are facing difficulties getting organized, planning ahead, and starting tasks. You, too, likely recognize your childs strengths as well as their challenges, and chose this book as a means of supporting them through these types of struggles.

As a licensed clinical social worker, I began my work in schools and childrens hospital outpatient centers before moving into a private practice. I specialize in supporting positive developmental growth in children from birth into young adulthood. My hope with this book is to help teens gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, as well as their areas for growth.

I have seen firsthand how hard it can be to support your child through these challenges, especially when theyre discouraged or wonder why they have to work harder than their peers to accomplish similar tasks. This book is as much for you as it is for your teen. Think of it as your guide to teaching simple, accessible strategies. When you come up against a difficulty, use this book as a reference to find tips and tricks to help you and your teen get unstuck.

To help you achieve a better understanding of executive functioning challenges, Ive developed a list of questions for you to reflect on. Take a look at them to evaluate your own executive functioning skills, and check off the points that apply to you. Like all assessments in this book, this is not meant to be a diagnostic tool, but rather a way to gain insight into your own strengths and growth areas.

When Im very busy or overwhelmed, I have difficulty prioritizing where to start.

I struggle to keep my organization systems in place. There are times when I dont have a system at all.

Planning ahead isnt easy for me. I usually dont have a concrete plan, or I complete tasks at the last minute.

I can be rigid once I set my mind to something. I have trouble thinking flexibly or changing my plans.

I often forget items on my to-do list, activities, or plans that Ive made.

I often feel scattered and tend to lose things.

Im often late to events or appointments.

Its hard for me to stay calm when Im annoyed or upset. I find regulating my emotions a challenge.

I regularly follow my impulses and act without thinking. I can see that I dont always think things through before jumping in.

Getting started on tasks can be a challenge for me, especially when I dont find them interesting.

I find it hard to monitor my progress. I tend to be surprised when I am not meeting my goals or when someone is irritated with me.

You may be surprised by how many areas of executive functioning you and your teen have in commonboth strengths and challenges. Recognizing your own areas for growth may assist you in relating to your child as they work to develop new skills.

I find myself continuously inspired by families who develop resilience and build their executive functioning skills. Ive written this book for them and for you, with the goal of sharing the tools that Ive found to be helpful in my practice over the past decade. As your teen works to implement these strategies into their lives, my sincere hope is that they gain confidence, discover their strengths, and experience the ongoing growth of their executive functioning skills.

Warmly,
Laurie Chaikind McNulty, LCSW-C

Dear Teens,

I work every day to support people in meeting their goals, including growing and developing executive functioning skills. What are executive skills? Simply put, theyre actions like getting organized, making plans, focusing, paying attention, and even starting on tasks. Ive worked for a decade with teens and young adults like you who are looking to improve their executive functioning skills and feel more confident in tackling everyday challenges.

I know that it can be frustrating to feel like you have to work twice as hard to do what seems to come naturally to your friends and classmates. Thats why its so important for me to convey that this book is not about flaws or finding things that need be fixed. Instead, its meant to serve as a reference guide for you to find your strengths and grow your executive functioning skill set.