Full PreFrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function

Send us a textImagine being more than 2,500 feet above the ground; with no harness, no ropes and no safety equipment. Alex Hannold scaled Yosemite’s El Capitan solo, seemingly effortlessly and with great command over the rock. The most remarkable aspect of the near impossible feat of accomplishment is Alex’s grit, a strength-based psychological skill that propels most humans to carve out a path to reach goals that are once thought to be unattainable. The question is, can we cultivate grit?On this episode, educational scholar, lecturer in Curriculum & Instruction at Baylor University, and author of “A student’s guide to grit and greatness”, Dr. Laila Y. Sanguras, discusses how we can help kids recognize the value of effort influenced achievement. By focusing on grit, educators can unveil the secret that anyone who is at the top of their game got there by practicing the invisible micro skills, enduring  innumerable obstacles and committing to life’s big goals.About Dr. Laila SangurasLaila Y. Sanguras, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the department of Curriculum & Instruction and co-editor of the Gifted Education Review, a newsletter for teachers and parents of gifted children. Dr. Sanguras earned a B.S. in education from Western Oregon University, followed by a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University and Ph.D. in educational research from the University of North Texas.Dr. Sanguras’ primary scholarly interest is the development of psychosocial skills, particularly grit and coping, and how teachers and parents can support their children to succeed academically and personally. She works closely with school districts and parent organizations to bring research to practice. Dr. Sanguras also presents at numerous professional conferences and enjoys mentoring students on their personal research projects.Websites:https://www.andstillweteach.com/http://www.giftededucationreview.com/Books/Materials:Grit in the Classroom: Building Perseverance for Excellence in Today's StudentsRaising Children with Grit: Parenting Passionate, Persistent, and Successful KidsEducator's Quick Reference Guide to Grit in the ClassroomAbout 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 textEvery Halloween, when the late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel invites parents to video tape lying to their children having eaten all of their Halloween candy, it never fails to produce funny, hilarious, and some heart-wrenching videos of kids having officially lost their mind over the prank. However, it’s truly astonishing to find a kid or two who mange to stay calm and collected in the face of candy-distress. It is reasonable to ask how children regulate themselves during a conflict or disappointments of everyday life and bring themselves in the zone of an emotionally balanced internal state. On this episode, Sucheta interviews author and creator of the Zones of Regulation® framework, Occupational Therapist, and autism specialist, Leah Kuypers, who talks about the benefits of the cultivated ability to achieve a preferred state of alertness that corresponds to the context where one has to act and behave. By figuring out and knowing the science of how the body and emotions are interconnected everyone can stay calm and carry on.  About Leah KuypersLeah Kuypers earned a Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Graduate Certificate in Autism and a Master of Arts in Education from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN.  She has practiced as an OT/autism specialist in school and clinical settings, specializing in self-regulation and social learning, and has worked with students of all ages and challenges, including anxiety, ADHD, and ASD.  Leah created The Zones of Regulation® (www.zonesofregulation.com), a framework designed to teach self-regulation, and is author of the book and two apps by same name (2011, Social Thinking Publishing; 2013, 2016 Selosoft, Inc). In addition to working with students, she provides trainings and consultation to parents and professionals on self-regulation and challenging behavior, as well as conducts workshops on the Zones to groups across the world.  She resides in Minneapolis, MN with her husband, son, daughter and dog.Website:www.zonesofregulation.comBooks/Materials:The Zones of Regulation bookNavigating The Zones Game and Advanced PackThe Zones of Regulation PostersThe Zones of Regulation AppsAbout 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 text“The builder said he was very sorry” writes Louis Sachar in the introduction to his children’s book, where instead of building a school one-story high with thirty classrooms, he ends up building a thirty stories high Wayside School with one classroom per floor. Readers discover that, none the less, the stories from such a strange and silly place are simply delightful.Similarly, however challenging it is to raise complex kids wired for impulsivity, disorganization, neediness, disengagement, and occasional resistance, it can also be a great source of immense joy, pride, and gratitude. And their stories of courage can invoke hope for many to create harmony in shared spaces.On this episode author, parent educator, certified coach, co-founder of ImpactADHD.com, and a co-creator of Sanity School®, Elaine Taylor-Klaus, discusses how parenting is a daily exercise in letting go. By using effective tools, every family can create connected, fulfilling, and empowering relationships with their real, unique, and amazing kids.About Elaine Taylor-KlausElaine Taylor-Klaus is an author, parent educator, and certified coach. The co-founder of ImpactADHD.com, co-creator of Sanity School® (an online behavior therapy program), and co-author of Parenting ADHD Now! Easy Intervention Strategies to Empower Kids with ADHD, she provides coaching, training and support for parents of complex kids – and parents raising kids in complex times. Her newest book, The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids with ADHD, Anxiety and More will be out in September 2020, and is available on pre-order with bonus gifts including a “Parenting in a Pandemic” supplement. Elaine has served as a parent advisor for the American Academy of Pediatrics and on the national Board of Directors of CHADD. She is the mother in an ADHD++ family of six.Website:https://sanityschool.com/Book:The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids with ADHD, Anxiety, and More: What Parents and Teachers Really Need to Know to Empower Complicated Kids with Confidence and CalmAbout 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 textNapoleon Hill once said, “strength and growth comes from continuous struggle and effort,” but what about those who struggle to know how best to direct their effort during the ongoing struggle? Children and adults with ADHD suffer from this exact problem which makes it hard for them to find their voice, fit in, and fully flourish with all the gifts they have. A true loss for everyone is when the world castigates children and adults with ADHD as disposable assets and inadvertently ends up dismissing the true capability of brains that are simply wired differently. On this episode, our guest, Peter Shankman, successful entrepreneur, author of bestsellers, and the host of the #1 podcast on ADHD shares how embracing his ADHD and everything else that makes him different has proven advantageous to become a leader and lead a meaningful life. By better regulating one’s self-sabotaging inattention and accepting structure and processes that tame executive dysfunction, ADHD can truly be a gift that keeps on giving. About Peter ShankmanThe New York Times has called Peter Shankman "a rockstar who knows everything about social media and then some." He is a 5x best selling author, entrepreneur and corporate keynote speaker, focusing on customer service and the new and emerging customer and neurotatypical economy.  With three startup launches and exits under his belt, (most notably Help a Reporter Out) Peter is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about the customer experience, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and the new Neurodiverse and Remote economies.Websites:Shankman.comPodcast: FasterThanNormal.comShankMinds.com20MinutesInLockdown.comBooks:Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD BrainNice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management Is Over--and Collaboration Is InArticles:10 productivity tricks from a CEO with ADHDTen Ways to be Happier When You Live/Love Someone Diagnosed With ADHDAbout 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 textSolving BIG problems requires big thinking. John Wooden once said, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Even though preparing children to take charge of their learning and their future happens in the classrooms, in actuality, it is set in motion through the mission and vision of personal and institutional leadership; without which, classrooms will simply be ships without sails. With skills to master, personal and situational setbacks to overcome, and trying to make a difference in the world, a lot rides on how we innovate systems that promote student learning, teacher preparedness, and community collaboration.On this episode, our guest Dr. John E. Deasy, recently retired superintendent of Stockton Unified School District in Los Angeles, former State superintendent of the year, former high school principal, and former teacher talks about leading the way in shaping education through principles and practice. Schools and educational institutions as whole can cast a seismic shift through introspective culture, deliberate decisions to bring everyone on the same page, and inspirational practices in everyday learning – essential ingredients of successful schooling.About Dr. John E. DeasyDr. John E. Deasy is the recently retired superintendent of Stockton Unified School District in California. During his tenure he oversaw a massive upgrade of new curriculum, technology for all youth, counselors and mental health clinicians in all schools, championed homeless issues and saw strong improvement in all youth indicators of success.He was the Board Chair and former CEO of Reset: New Day, New Year, which is an alternative prison for young men 18-25 in the Bay Area of California. He was the founding Editor-In-Chief of The Line. The Line is a magazine dedicated to civil discourse in dealing with the most pressing matters for those on the front lines of social justice, entrepreneurship, and education. John also serves at a Superintendent In Residence for the Broad Center and facilitates work in the Broad Academy while coaching a number of current and emerging national education leaders. John also maintains a management consulting practice. John is also an Aspen Fellow from the inaugural cohort of the Aspen Institute’s fellowship of entrepreneurs in education and is a senior moderator for the Institute.John led dramatic improvements in each school district that he served as superintendent which propelled student achievement, high school graduation rates, and access rates to high quality courses and schools to historic levels, while simultaneously reducing suspension and drop out rates in each district he served as the leader. Dr. Deasy was superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he championed a “youth first” agenda credited with reversing the district’s school-to-prison pipeline, raising achievement and helping more students graduate ready for college and the workplace than at anytime in the District’s history.  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 textHow to nurture a healthy relationship with life experiences, particularly undesirable, uncomfortable or unfavorable ones, is best captured in Pema Chodron’s quote “Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” However, setbacks may lead to more setbacks for those with under-developed executive function including a lack of self-awareness, rigidity and a failure to problem solve. On this episode, the former Head of Executive Leadership Development at Nike and author of “Flourish or Fold: The Five Practices of Particularly Resilient People” Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal discusses ways to leverage the wisdom gleaned from decades of research on resilience. She shares how each and everyone of us can prioritize strengthening resilience through a shift in mindset and by inculcating specific practices so that we can rise above personal adversities.About Dr. Taryn Marie StejskalDr. Taryn Marie is a foremost international expert on resilience, in both leadership and life. She is the author of “Flourish or Fold: The Five Practices of Particularly Resilient People”, and is featured in the forthcoming documentary Breaking Free, both expected to release in 2021. She is the former Head of Executive Leadership Development at Nike, Global Leadership Development at Cigna, and founded Resilience Leadership, where she serves as the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO), leveraging over a decade of research on resilience, that gave birth to the empirically-based framework, The Five Practices of Particularly Resilient People, for executive coaching, top-team effectiveness, high potential leadership programs and workshops, and inspirational keynote addresses. She is a sought-after coach for executives, athletes, musicians, and actors who are looking for an edge by way of understanding and harnessing their inherent resilience.Dr. Taryn Marie is a Co-Founder of Resilience Element 75 (RE75), focused on making resilience accessible to the world through film and wearable technology as well as serving as one of Marshall Goldsmith’s Top 100 Coaches across the globe. Her groundbreaking research on resilience has been featured in publications such as Ariana Huffington’s Thrive Global, Ladders, LA Progressive, and Women’s Daily Magazine, on television broadcasts, and featured online by Happify, eMindful, and Powerful Universe.Dr. Stejskal received an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Michigan along with a master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and a doctorate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed pre- and post-doctoral fellowships at Virginia Commonwealth Medical University. She serves as an ambassador for The African Community and Conservation Foundation (ACCF) as well as several non- and for-profit boards.Website: http://www.resilience-leadership.com/ 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 textNone of us are fans of being bored; a state often marked by restlessness and mild forms of agitation. That’s why we all try and avoid the angst that seems to be associated with boredom. But surprisingly, scientists who study the brain, suggest that boredom isn’t too bad for us, but rather the brain’s nudge to get out of that state, take action, and bring about change. On this episode, neuroscientist, trained Clinical Neuropsychologist, and co-author of “Out of My Skull”, professor James Danckert discusses the neural correlates of boredom, how to structure our thinking about it, and the significance of boredom in school, at work, and in life.About James Danckert, Professor of Cognitive NeuroscienceJames Danckert trained as a Clinical Neuropsychologist in Australia before moving to Canada to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Melvyn Goodale at London Ontario. He was awarded a Canada Research Chair at the University of Waterloo where his research explores the neural and cognitive correlates of boredom, how the brain builds and updates mental models, and the consequences of stroke for attention and vision.Website: https://www.jamesdanckert.com/Books:Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom 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 textEmotions are the heartbeat of human existence and the human drama that is full of anxiety, sadness, anger, fury, joy, or love feels like we are either riding a roller-coaster or floating gently in a boat that’s in a calm and placid lake. Emotions that disrupt our relationship with the world require regulation, but conventional wisdom approaches might get us off track as we might train ourselves to either not feel the feelings or not react to them. On this podcast episode, father of the CBT-TEAM approach, author of the best seller “Feeling Good”, and host of the Feeling Good Podcasts, Dr. David Burns talks about why it is important to understand that all feelings are caused by thoughts and focusing on grouping emotions into positive and negative emotions may not serve us well, but rather redirecting unhealthy negative as well as unhealthy positive emotions can and will allow us to live our human experience to its fullest. About Dr. David BurnsDavid D. Burns, MD is an Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus at the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His best-selling book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, has sold more than five million copies worldwide. Many published research studies have indicated that 65% of individuals with moderate to severe depression who are given a copy of his book improve dramatically within four weeks with no other treatment. Dr. Burns has won many awards for his research and teaching. His weekly Feeling Good Podcasts will hit three million downloads this year. His latest book, Feeling Great, is now listed on Amazon.com and will be published in September 2020. He is also working on a new Feeling Great App that will feature two powerful new mood-changing technologies to show people how to break out of severe and mild mood slumps quickly. 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 textThe parents’ job is to protect their children, offer safety and security, and above all, love them unconditionally. But there are visible and invisible barriers and everyone struggles. In order to raise children with strong executive function, parents need to help cultivate a strong foundation where the brain knows not to go into overdrive or over-react. By activating their own strong executive function, parents can build a nurturing relationship with their children.On this episode, author, parenting expert, and the founder of AhaParenting.com, Dr. Laura Markham, explains how the most effective discipline strategy parents could choose is to have a close bond with their children. She shares meaningful approaches to raising resilient and joyful children.About Dr. Laura MarkhamDr. Laura Markham trained as a Clinical Psychologist at Columbia University, but she's also a mom, so she understands kids -- and parents! She uses her Ph.D. to translate proven science and child-development research into the practical solutions you need for the family life you want.Dr. Laura Markham is the author of three best-selling books: Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start ConnectingPeaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How to Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for LifeThe Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids WORKBOOKThe founding editor of AhaParenting.com, Dr. Laura Markham makes frequent TV and radio appearances and has been interviewed for thousands of articles by publications as diverse as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Real Simple, Newsday, Men's Health, Redbook and Parents Magazine. 150,000 parents subscribe to her weekly Parenting Tips, which you can sign up for here.Dr. Laura Markham's relationship-based parenting model, which she calls Peaceful Parenting, is research-based and parent-tested. She's helped thousands of families across the U.S. and Canada find transformative solutions to everything from separation anxiety and sleep problems to sass talk and cell phones. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and is the proud parent of two happy, kind, responsible and accomplished young adults who were raised with Peaceful Parenting. 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 textPopularized by the business community, the term "soft skills" might imply that these skills are neither nuanced nor hard to obtain. But scientists and researchers who study these skills refer to them as pragmatics, the way one uses language and communication to achieve social and interpersonal goals and believe that soft skills are critical to conveying intent, working harmoniously in situations of conflict and help us moving ahead in the world collaboratively. When disrupted or impaired however, the subpar soft skills rake in unimaginable hardship causing disruption of trust, joy, and social harmony. On this episode, Dr. Lyn S. Turkstra, a researcher, author and a professor of Rehabilitation Science and Assistant Dean for Speech-language pathology at McMaster University, takes a hard look at soft skills. This discussion focuses on how best to help improve these critical social-interpersonal skills and ways to consider the need and context to design training to make a difference for the individual involved.About Dr. Lyn S. TurkstraDr. Turkstra is a Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and Assistant Dean for Speech-Language Pathology.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