Essentials of Executive Functions Assessment

To me, this book is "just okay." Even after reading parts of it it, I still have many questions about the nature of "executive functioning." In particular, I believe that there is a very large literature on the subject of attention deficit disorders which is not mentioned very much in this book, and I struggle in my efforts to see how "executive functioning" is different from "attentional functioning." There are also very large bodies of literature in the fields of neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. I would like to know why the entity of "executive functioning" is needed - or how it brings us beyond these other, older fields of study.

Great resource

Too technical. Need wordage for communicating with parents.

Wish it had more information on the specific subtetst of the DKEFS

Nice!

A ok

Very good tool for educators

Essentials of Executive Functions Assessment (Essentials of Psychological Assessment)  is a very good text that provides all the information you need to administer, score and interpret executive functions assessment tests. It is not what I would call accessible, yet it is very thorough in covering the research underpinnings of the various related disciplines. That's what makes it much more than just a resource for clinicians who are trying to administer EFAs.The foundational information on executive functioning brings together a wide array of research and differing approaches in a cohesive way. So this could potentially be a very useful refresher for somebody who is interested in neuroscience or psychology. It allows the reader to make sense of the many different approaches for thinking about executive functioning.The sections are well organized. The authors have segregated key information into "rapid reference" sections so they can easily be referred to. These sections are ideal for study, review and reference alike. And the helpful hints and "caution" sections provide practical guidance that will help clinical practitioners avoid common pitfalls.There were some oversights. The book's references are not all correct. For example, on page 23 it directs readers to Figure 1.6 for an outline of the 5 tiers of executive function capacity. I could not locate that figure in the text. Perhaps it was moved to a different chapter without the reference being updated. Perhaps it was removed from the text. The subsequent text made it easy to follow the authors, but the figure would have likely enhanced the information presented.Similarly, the author's include references in parenthesis. Footnotes would have made the book easier to digest. Here it interferes with the fluidity of the text. Considering the technical nature of much of the content, anything that could make it more readable is a plus.CONCLUSIONThis is a good treatment of a very complicated topic. It covers a lot of ground, providing both theoretical and hands-on information. And the sample forms and resources provided on the included CD are very useful. This is a quality book and I recommend it both to the clinical practitioner as well as to anybody trying to educate themselves on the topic.Enjoy.

Excellent, must have book for special educators. If you ever have a chance to see Mr McCloskey speak, do NOT miss it. I worship him!