Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function

Send us a textA ticking bomb, an empty room with a hanger from the dry-cleaners, a radiator, two in captivity with their hands tied behind their backs, and that’s it. With less than 60 seconds left on the clock, only MacGyver can stay focused and optimistic, get himself untied, get his companion freed and flip the trick back on the assailant at the speed of lightening. That takes incredible problem solving and grace under fire that only a character on a TV show has. Or is it?In celebration of the 150th episode of the Full PreFrontal Podcast, Sucheta will talk about applying strong Executive Function to daily problem solving using a "MacGyvering" mindset and Jugaad principles. Human ingenuity is the antidote to "functional fixedness” and is the resource that acts as a catalyst for personal evolution through which each of us can go beyond our personal or circumstantial constraints. 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 textIn the 1830s, Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet’s method of teaching reading to deaf children was evolutionary and became inviting enough that  the then secretary of education, Horace Munn, adopted to teaching it to neurotypical children; the logic being, if the teaching strategy works for the deaf it must work wonders for all. It wasn’t until much later that that it was discovered how ill-fitted such an extrapolation was. For far too long the culture has harbored a dreamy notion that gifted teachers are born and not made and they turn naive children into the learned ones with some magical powers and the techniques involved in teaching are a matter of personal will. What if that’s simply a myth?On this episode, author, journalist, and CEO and co-founder of Chalkbeat, Elizabeth Green, discusses that becoming a great teacher is attainable to all through the mastery of specific learned key skills unique to the profession of teaching. As Thomas Jefferson warned us, “we cannot be a powerful nation and illiterate too”; we must acknowledge the dazzling intellectual challenge teaching poses and prepare accordingly.About Elizabeth GreenElizabeth Green is the CEO and co-founder of Chalkbeat, the nonprofit news organization dedicated to improving educational equity through local, independent, high-impact journalism. Since launching in 2014, Chalkbeat’s reporting has spurred changes in education funding, legislation, policy, and practice and is regularly cited or republished in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Vox, and more. Elizabeth also co-founded the American Journalism Project, the first venture philanthropy firm dedicated to local news. Her book Building a Better Teacher was a New York Times bestseller and notable book of 2014. She has also written about education issues for The New York Times Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and other publications. Elizabeth has been a Spencer Fellow in education journalism at Columbia University and an Abe Journalism Fellow studying education in Japan. Book:Building a Better Teacher: How Teaching Works (and How to Teach It to Everyone)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 textAmerica’s struggle with equity was unveiled in a  2011 Department of Education study which showed that 45% of high-poverty schools received less state and local funding than what was typical for other schools in their district. The  funding disparities were further brought to light through a 2019 Ed Build report that showed that majority-white districts received $23 billion more in school funding than majority non-white districts. If this data is accurate, the performance gap is truly an opportunity gap and the solution could reside in rethinking our thinking about poverty, potential, and performance.On this episode,  author of 15 books and distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Southern California, Dr. Pedro A. Noguera, discusses how perceptions and stereotypes regarding poor children of color influenced by deficit thinking gets in the way of cultivating the talents in these children. By rethinking one’s own pre-suppositions and by refocusing on tapping into children’s curiosity, the chance that they become independently motivated learners is certain. About Pedro A. Noguera, PhDPedro Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education and a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Southern California. Prior to joining USC, Noguera served as a Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Before joining the faculty at UCLA, he served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 15 books. His most recent books are A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Toughest Questions in K-12 Education (Teachers College Press) with Rick Hess and City Schools and the American Dream: Still Pursuing the Dream (Teachers College Press) with Esa Syeed.Books:A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Toughest Questions in K-12 EducationAmerican Dream: Still Pursuing the DreamAbout 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 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