Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function

Send us a textKeeping up with the pace, load, and challenge of learning requires emotional and self-management skills – best described as Executive Function. However, when these skills are either delayed, under-developed, or absent it is easy to question the child’s motivations and intentions. The truth of the matter is that some kids simply need more support, scaffolding, and a greater appreciation for their differences. On this episode, counselor, author, Washington Post contributor, and freelance writer, Phyllis Fagell, discusses how Executive function skills are the skills that help build check-and-balance systems and backup methods that help students stay on top of their own work. When adults involved in helping and guiding children focus on becoming a non-anxious presence, the children themselves are likely to understand how to stay calm, which in turn can help them focus and feel relaxed enough to learn. About Phyllis FagellPhyllis is the school counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, DC, a therapist who works with kids and families in private practice, and an author and journalist. She's the author of “Middle School Matters” and a frequent contributor to the Washington Post. She also freelances for publications including Psychology Today, Working Mother, U.S. News & World Report and Your Teen, and her ideas have been shared in outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and NPR. Phyllis lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband and three children.Website:www.phyllisfagell.comBook:Middle School MattersAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textEven though studies after studies show that more than 75% of job success is determined by soft skills ,which in business refers to effective communication, professionalism and work ethics, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership, the word soft often undermines its nuanced nature and diminishes it potency. In the neuroscience and science of effective communication however,  soft skills are nothing but a combination of Executive Function, pragmatic skills, and social cognition and they can be taught and learned with a strategic approach.On this episode, author, award winning speech-language pathologist, and leading authority in brain injury rehabilitation, Dr. Leila Hartley, discusses how after neurological damage to the brain,  difficulties in social and interpersonal communication can create the greatest barrier to returning to independent living and sustaining gainful employment. The discovery of neural plasticity assures us that we can all change our brains, but the work has to be done by ourselves; and competent, caring, and invested speech-language pathologists can help.About Leila L. Hartley, PhD, CCC-SLPLeila L. Hartley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, received her Doctorate in communication sciences and neuropsychology from the University of Florida. She has over 40 years of clinical experience with adult neurogenic communication disorders. She is the author of Cognitive-Communicative Abilities Following Brain Injury: A Functional Approach and other publications in the areas of discourse abilities and functional approaches to rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. She has a private practice in Atlanta, Georgia.Book:Cognitive-Communicative Abilities Following Brain Injury: A Functional Approach About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textA difficult to teach child slows down the learning for others and accentuates the burden of teaching a group of diverse learners that often looms heavily on the teacher. What if  disruptive children are actually facing challenges that result from the lack of critical “to not be challenging” skills such as adaptive flexibility, frustration tolerance, and problem solving?On this episode, renowned author, clinical psychologist,  documentary producer, and adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech, Dr. Ross Greene, discusses the dilemma of teaching that requires a set of prerequisite learning how to learn skills that facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge but are far less ubiquitous. By prioritizing the building of executive function and self-regulation first,  educators are likely to yield greater cooperation from children and far more success in learning engagement.About Ross W. Greene, Ph.DRoss W. Greene, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and the originator of the innovative, evidence-based approach called Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), as described in his influential books The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings. He also developed and executive produced the award-winning documentary film The Kids We Lose, released in 2018. Dr. Greene was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over 20 years, and founded the non-profit Lives in the Balance in 2009. He is currently adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech and adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. Dr. Greene has worked with several thousand behaviorally challenging kids and their caregivers, and he and his colleagues have overseen implementation and evaluation of the CPS model in hundreds of schools, inpatient psychiatry units, and residential and juvenile detention facilities, with dramatic effect: significant reductions in recidivism, discipline referrals, detentions, suspensions, and use of restraint and seclusion. Dr. Greene lectures throughout the world and lives in Freeport, Maine.Websites:http://www.LivesInTheBalance.orghttp://www.TrueCrisisPrevention.orghttp://www.TheKidsWeLose.comBooks:The Explosive ChildLost at SchoolLost & FoundRaising Human Beings About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Professor Tony Attwood discusses the nature of Asperger’s syndrome and the remarkable abilities of individuals on the Autism Spectrum. He explores challenges faced by those with Asperger's, including social interactions, self-blame, and understanding emotions. The podcast also covers unique struggles of girls with Asperger's, societal factors, building resilience, and the influence of books on understanding autism.

Esther Wojcicki, a prominent educator and author, shares her innovative approach to raising successful individuals. She emphasizes the importance of empowering children to be self-reliant and embrace their mistakes. Esther highlights her TRICK method—Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness—as a framework for fostering independence. She discusses the significance of emotional courage in learning and shares insights on non-traditional educational paths. Parents are encouraged to partner with their children, promoting emotional growth and cultivating resilience.

Send us a textIn the increasingly complex world, raising children to become adaptable, communicative, open, creative, and self-reliant thinkers is a tall order. As the raging pandemic is taking its toll on the American psyche, some groups are proving to be more vulnerable than others. The American Psychological Association’s 2021 survey reports that the parents of children under 18 years of age are the highest stressed groups of people in the United States. So we need a universal healing approach and a pragmatic insight to handle the stress.On this episode of Full PreFrontal,  award-winning author of The Dolphin Parent (A Guide to Raising Healthy Happy, and Self-Motivated Kids) and celebrated speaker, Dr. Shimi Kang shares ways to becoming a better parent while re-balancing yourself so that you become a trustworthy and compassionate role-model for your children.About Dr. Shimi KangDr. Kang is passionate about providing science-based tools that optimize the power of the human brain. She is the founder of Dolphin Kids: Future-Ready Leaders, CEO of Spark Mindset App, and host of the YouTube show; “Mental Wealth with Dr. Shimi Kang”.She is the author of The Dolphin Parent: A Guide to Raising Healthy, Happy, and Self-Motivated Kids and The Self Motivated Kid. The Dolphin Parent is a #1 National Bestseller and The Self-Motivated Kid won the 2015 US News International Book Award in the Parenting and Family Category. Her books have been released in 12 countries around the world and her newest title, The Tech Solution: Creating Healthy Habits for Kids Growing up in a Digital World is now available for pre-order!Dr. Kang is represented as a national celebrity speaker with the Speaker’s Spotlight Bureau and is a TEDx Speaker with millions of views. She is a seasoned media specialist, known for discussing both common and complex conditions. You can find some of her articles and appearances in major media outlets, including BBC World News, Washington Post, the Huffington Post, CBC, Psychology Today, South China Morning Post, TIME Magazine, NPR, UK Daily Mail, Der Speigel, Al Jazeera, SETV-Shanghai, and Times of India. As a result of her endeavors and outstanding community service, Dr. Kang was honored with the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award , Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Sikh Centennial Foundation National Award. She has received five national awards in the field of addictions and mental health including the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Research Award and an American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Award. Dr. Kang is most proud of receiving the Diamond Jubilee Medal for her years of outstanding community service and of being the mother of three awesome but exhausting children!About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textWhat is limited, valuable, and scarce? Attention. As society as a whole tries to navigate the new terrain where attention is the commodity supporting a large part of the economy, it is imperative that humans understand that attention is the gateway to information processing and “knowing what to pay attention to” is probably far more important than simply paying attention.Since the act of paying attention presents itself in more than one form such as listening, loving, cooperating, collaborating or even being generous and altruistic, we need to build brains that know how to engage their attention and direct it towards intentions so that decisions are made that serve the needs that go beyond the current moment or the current self. On this episode, award-winning author and journalist known for her pioneering writings exploring social trends, particularly technology’s impact on humanity, Maggie Jackson, joins Sucheta Kamath to talk about why fractured attention often leaves us feeling scattered, fragmented and frustrated. If what Susan Sontag’s words “Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager” are true, then we all must participate in the Attentional Renaissance.About Maggie JacksonMaggie Jackson is an award-winning author and journalist known for her pioneering writings exploring social trends, particularly technology’s impact on humanity. Her acclaimed book Distracted (Second Ed., 2018) kickstarted a global conversation on the steep costs of fragmenting our attention. Winner of the prestigious 2020 Dorothy Lee Book Award for excellence in technology criticism, Distracted was compared by FastCompany.com to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring for its prescient critique of technology’s excesses. The book helped inspire Google’s recent digital well-being initiative. A former Boston Globe contributing columnist, Jackson’s commentary and articles have appeared in media worldwide, including the New York Times, NPR, and the noted design-and-philosophy journal New Philosopher. A graduate of Yale University and of the London School of Economics with highest honors, Jackson has won numerous awards and fellowships, including a Visiting Fellowship at the Bard Graduate Center (2016). She lives in New York and Rhode Island. Visit her website: maggie-jackson.comBook:Distracted: Reclaiming Our Focus in a World of Lost Attention Article:NY Times Opinion Piece on Robot CaregivingBoston Globe Essay on Uncertainty's Critical Role in Good ThinkingAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textIts no joke, adulting is hard. To adult is to do all the things that grown-ups regularly do because they have to including finding a job, keeping it, living independently, paying bills, keeping a thriving social circle and handle the unexpected curve balls that life throws. High school to college and then college to life are transitions marked by the need for a substantial upgrade to one’s own executive function proficiency; if delayed or under-evolved, it can cause massive disruptions in adulting.On this episode, the founder of LMR Coaching and the creator of the ADHD JOB SQUAD™, Lynn Miner-Rosen discusses how best to coach, instruct, and support college students with (and without) ADHD to transition into the adult world of finding and keeping a job with maturity and balance between their personal, professional, and social life. She discusses the key ingredients for building transferrable skills for success in college and beyond!Lynn Miner-Rosen, M.Ed, ACCLynn Miner-Rosen, M.Ed., ACC, CDCS  is the founder of LMR Coaching and the creator of the ADHD JOB SQUAD™ where she provides coaching, instruction, and support to college students and adults with (and without) ADD, ADHD, Executive Functioning Deficits and Learning Differences worldwide. She is a leading expert on ADHD career coaching and is an ICF Credentialed and Board Certified Career Development Coach, ADD/ADHD Coach, Executive Function Coach and Life Coach. Before her work as a whole-life coach, Lynn taught special education for 12 years in New York public schools and prior to that, worked as an executive in the business world. You can connect with Lynn by emailing her at info@lmrcoaching.comRecommended Books:Finding a Career That Works For You by Wilma FellmanThe Stressed Years of Their Lives by Dr. Anthony Rostain & Dr. Janet HibbsThe Loving Push by Dr. Temple Grandin & Dr. Debra MooreAbout Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textThe most basic human experience is to be able to communicate; express thoughts and ideas clearly and meaningfully while being fully understood. Most of us are unaware of the nature of these true gifts that allows humans to construct and build relationships from the ground up by launching nuanced skills such as reading faces, reading the room, and reading between the lines. Hence, the foundational skills of a self-regulated learner always includes strong emotional literacy skills which out weighs the emotional stressors of everyday life. On this episode, Elizabeth Sautter, M.A., CCC, returns to discusses how well-built human communication becomes handy when dealing with meltdowns, mood swings, and a sense of being overwhelmed that big-emotions often bring on. The key to the life-long benefits of successful transitioning from childhood to young adult is having found empowerment in tools to become aware of one’s own emotions and knowing how to guide them.About Elizabeth Sautter MA, CCC-SLPElizabeth Sautter, M.A., CCC, is a Speech and Language Pathologist, award-winning author, blogger, and highly sought after speaker specializing in social and emotional learning since 1996. Elizabeth’s interest in social learning began early in life growing up with a sister who has developmental challenges. She is also a mom of two teens with complex social, emotional, and academic needs. These personal experiences have fueled a passion in Elizabeth to serve individuals and their families who are struggling with everyday challenges.Elizabeth is the creator of Make Social Learning Stick, which provides consultation, training (including the Make it Stick online parenting course), and resources to assist children, teens, and their families in building skills and practical strategies to manage emotions, navigate social situations, and achieve their goals. She is the co-author of the popular children’s book series, Whole Body Listening Larry. She is a collaborative trainer for the Zones of Regulation, and co-author of the accompanying storybooks, card decks, and games.Elizabeth is the co-founder of Communication Works, a speech therapy practice providing services to schools, individuals, and their families. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, two teenage sons, a cat, and a dog, and firmly believes that social-emotional learning has changed her life and wants to do the same for others.Book:Make Social and Emotional Learning Stick: Practical activities to help your child mange emotions, navigate social situations & reduce anxiety (Second Edition)About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show

Send us a textYogi Berra once said, “If the world was perfect, it wouldn’t be.” High achievers often bring perfection in their work; however, perfectionism can impede ongoing high achievement. The diligence in being perfect is time-consuming and exhausting and since humans can’t give up on the ideas of perfection, it’s prudent to remember that if left unchecked, perfectionistic tendencies can create barriers to transcendence.  On this episode, renowned author whose books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and popular lecturer whose undergraduate class at Harvard was the most attended in the history of Harvard, Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D., discusses ways to shift from perfectionism to optimalism by rechanneling focus and bringing the same intensity of desires to achieve one’s goals. Since Executive Function involves activating the set of mental skills that facilitates the management of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and actions; letting go of a perfectionistic view does require higher-order executive control to redirect a rigid mindset and pivot to recognize the joys in imperfection. About Tal Ben-ShaharTal Ben-Shahar is an author and lecturer.  He taught two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership.  Today, Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, the general public, and at-risk populations.  The topics he lectures on include leadership, happiness, education, innovation, ethics, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages, and have appeared on best-sellers lists around the world. Tal is a serial entrepreneur, and is the co-founder and chief learning officer of Happiness Studies Academy, Potentialife, Maytiv, and Happier.TV. An avid sportsman, Tal won the U.S. Intercollegiate and Israeli National squash championships.  Today, for exercise, he swims, dances, and practices Yoga.  He obtained his PhD in Organizational Behavior and BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Harvard.About Host, Sucheta KamathSucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.Support the show