Smart But Scattered

Does your child struggle to get or stay organized? Is homework a battle you dread every day? Prepare yourself to support your children for the Back to School season with this interview with Dr. Richard Guare. He’s a neuropsychologist and board-certified behavior analyst focused on autism, learning, attention, and behavior disorders, and acquired brain injuries. He is the co-author of Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential.

In this episode, we discuss:

Define executive skills in a way that makes sense to a parent or caregiver who is unfamiliar with the term.
Why are these executive skills essential for school success and independence?
How does early childhood trauma, neglect, or prenatal substance exposure delay or disrupt a child’s executive skill development?
What kinds of executive skill delays are common in children who’ve experienced foster care, adoption, or early adversity?
How might a parent or caregiver begin to see a child’s delays in executive skill deficits in school?
Define the strengths-based approach to teaching executive skills.
How can we structure our homes and daily routines to best support what our kids will face during the school day?
- And practical strategies for supporting your student after school?
What language can parents and caregivers use with our kids, and with teachers and support staff, to frame a child’s behavior in terms of execution skills vs. defiance or distraction?
Why is it important for parents and caregivers to understand their own executive skills strengths and struggles?
Top “takeaways” you want to encourage and support parents and caregivers to consider.