Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD) has been the focus of four decades of neuropsychological research. However, it has yet to be included as a diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (i.e., currently in its fifth edition, DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Many of the characteristics associated…

Objectives: There were three aims in conducting this pilot study. First, determine the Plus Minus Task assessment's reliability to measure the executive function of shifting. Second, determine the feasibility and acceptability of CPAB by students and teachers. Third, determine the preliminary dose-response of acute physical activity on shifting in…

Of the 50,000 youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who achieve adulthood each year, the National Autism Indicators Report disclosed that 36% attend a postsecondary school. Among these, an 80% majority, attended 2-year colleges and 11% attended 4-year colleges (Roux et al., 2015a, 2015b). A systematic review of the literature exposed a gap…

This dissertation presents a series of case studies concerned with whether the signal in a given set of measurements that we take in the course of linguistic inquiry reflects grammatical competence or performance factors. We know that performance and competence do not always covary, yet it is not uncommon to assume that measurements that we take…

Screen media has become increasingly pervasive in our everyday lives and has profoundly changed the way people communicate and interact with each other. However, we are still unclear about the long-term influence of screen media use on our physical health, mental health, and social wellbeing. Children and adolescents are in an important stage of…

This study examined the relationship between executive function and externalizing behaviors within a student population that was assessed for special education services. Executive function was measured by using the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI). Externalizing behaviors and school problems was measured using the Behavior…

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs abound in schools worldwide, adopted in large part on limited and varied evidence that the social/SEL skills acquired in these programs contribute to academic achievement. However, large-scale studies with the most common SEL program in the United States (Second Step®) have yielded no evidence of academic…

Sleep is important for child development. Sleep problems in early childhood are associated with negative outcomes across numerous domains, including executive control, internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, and social competence (Astill et al., 2012; Hysing et al., 2016; Spruyt et al., 2019). Little research has focused on moderators…

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and executive function (EF) difficulties exhibit numerous symptoms that contribute to their struggles in school. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve the academic experience for high school students with ADHD and EF deficits at Bayside High School.…

Losing a close friend or family member is a common, but profoundly stressful life experience. For young adults in particular, bereavement is associated with depression, sleep difficulties, and other psychological sequelae of stress. An experience of loss commonly prompts some level of cognitive processing as an attempt to make meaning, but little…

Executive function (EF) is a term used to describe the processes responsible for purposeful, goal-directed behavior and has been described as the "air traffic controller" or "CEO" of the brain. EFs are an important factor in overall quality of life, including school and job success. EFs are measured predominately through two…

Smartphone ownership and use by adolescents have increased rapidly over the past decade and a half. Although some educators anticipated benefits of smartphones for learning, increasing smartphone use has raised numerous concerns in school environments, including the possibility that the mere presence of a smartphone reduces students' cognitive…

Early childhood adversity, particularly poverty, can be a source of chronic stress that contributes to emotion dysregulation at the start of formal schooling. Children's reactivity to novel challenges in the classroom is associated with externalizing behavior and subsequent difficulties developing academic and social emotional skills (Blair &…

Executive functions (EF) are a collection of cognitive domains governing task initiation, motor planning, attention, and goal-oriented action. Difficulties with EF have marked impacts on adaptive living skills, learning outcomes, and quality of life for people with cognitive and psychosocial disabilities, as well as the broader population. While…

This study examined the effects of executive function intervention on the academic performance of students in three kindergarten through eighth-grade schools. The study evaluated MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) results prior to and after the implementation of the executive function strategies and interventions. The study compared the…