Resources & Tools

Open-source reading packets, assessment instruments, downloadable forms, and asynchronous study resources to support your Executive Function coaching practice.

Take the ESQ-R Assessment Reading Packets Essential Books Assessment Tools Forms & Templates Asynchronous Briefs Further Sources
Core Materials

Open Source Reading Packets

All readings are drawn from freely available, peer-reviewed publications and open-access resources. Organized by module for sequential study.

  • Harvard Center on the Developing Child — "Building the Brain's Air Traffic Control System"
    The foundational metaphor for understanding executive function as a coordinated system of cognitive processes. Explains how working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility work together like an air traffic control tower managing multiple inputs.
  • Barkley — Factsheet on ADHD, Executive Functioning, and Self-Regulation
    A concise overview of the relationship between ADHD and EF deficits. Establishes the framework for understanding EF as self-regulation directed toward the future, not merely attention or behavior management.
  • Barkley — "The Evolutionary Perspective on Executive Function"
    Traces the development of EF from a survival mechanism to a complex system of self-governance. Explains the public-to-private internalization of behavior and why EF deficits produce "time blindness."
  • Dawson & Guare — Executive Skills Questionnaire-Revised (ESQ-R)
    The primary intake and assessment tool for the curriculum. A 25-item self-report questionnaire measuring 11 executive function skills across both cognitive ("Thinking") and behavioral ("Doing") domains. Used to generate an Executive Skills Profile for goal-setting.
  • BRIEF-2 — Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (Overview)
    A summary of the BRIEF-2's structure and clinical indices: the Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI), Emotion Regulation Index (ERI), and Cognitive Regulation Index (CRI). Referenced for understanding standardized assessment; formal administration requires licensure.
  • Brown EF/A Scales — Summary & Interpretive Guide
    An overview of Dr. Thomas Brown's Executive Function/Attention Scales and how the six-cluster model maps to assessment items. Referenced for understanding clinical diagnostic tools; formal administration requires licensure.
  • ICF Core Competencies for Coaching
    The International Coaching Federation's competency model adapted for EF coaching. Covers trust-building, active listening, targeted questioning, awareness building, action design, and accountability.
  • "An Executive Skills-Based Approach to Coaching" (Peer-Reviewed Technical Assistance Brief)
    A practical guide for implementing the Dawson & Guare coaching model, including the two-tiered intervention logic: (1) modify the environment to reduce EF demands, then (2) explicitly teach the deficit skill. Covers session structure, goal-setting frameworks, and the "Fade Plan."
  • "Coaching Students with Executive Function Challenges"
    Strategies for building the "Collaborative Alliance" with younger clients. Addresses the triangle of trust between student, parent, and coach, and provides scripts for distinguishing coaching from therapy and tutoring.
  • Sarah Ward — "360 Thinking: Improving Executive Function" (CHADD Attention Magazine)
    Ward's foundational article on her visual-spatial approach to time and task management. Introduces the "Get Ready, Do, Done" backward planning framework and explains why traditional instruction ("just use a planner") fails for clients with EF deficits.
  • "Practical Strategies for Improving Executive Function Skills"
    A detailed set of evidence-based strategies targeting specific EF deficits: time estimation exercises, cognitive offloading techniques, environmental design checklists, and analog clock interventions for "time blindness."
  • Harvard Center on the Developing Child — "Activities Guide: Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills" (Children & Adolescents)
    Age-graded activity guides for building EF capacity in children and adolescents. Organized by developmental stage, these guides provide structured exercises for working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility that can be adapted for coaching sessions.
  • CHADD — "Understanding Executive Function Skills"
    An accessible overview of how EF deficits manifest across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on ADHD populations. Covers the "Interest-Based Nervous System," the college transition "cliff," and practical strategies for adults managing EF challenges in the workplace.
  • ICF Code of Ethics
    The International Coaching Federation's ethical guidelines covering confidentiality, conflicts of interest, professional conduct, and the obligation to refer when a client's needs exceed the coach's scope of practice. Required reading for all certification candidates.
  • NBEFC Code of Ethics
    The National Board for Executive Function Coaching's professional ethics standards, specifically tailored for EF practitioners. Addresses unique ethical considerations including working with minors, coordinating with therapists and educators, and the boundaries between coaching and clinical treatment.
  • Business Plan Templates for Coaching Practices
    Practical templates for launching an independent EF coaching practice. Includes one-page business plan frameworks, service menu structures, pricing model worksheets (hourly vs. package vs. retainer), and client agreement templates aligned with ICF standards.
Core Library

Essential Books

The core texts behind the EFI curriculum. These are the books every EF coach should read and reference in practice.

Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved

Russell A. Barkley, PhD • Guilford Press

Barkley's definitive scholarly text on EF as a unified system of self-regulation. Covers the evolutionary origins, neuroanatomy, and the Extended Phenotype theory that justifies environmental modification as a primary intervention.

Foundational Theory • Modules I, III, V

A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults: Executive Function Impairments

Thomas E. Brown, PhD • Routledge

Brown's six-cluster model of executive function and how ADHD represents impairment in cognitive management. Introduces the critical concept of "situational variability" — why clients can hyper-focus on games but not homework.

Assessment Framework • Modules I, II

Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention

Peg Dawson, EdD & Richard Guare, PhD • Guilford Press

The primary coaching framework text. Introduces the 12-skill Thinking/Doing model, the ESQ-R assessment, the two-tiered intervention logic, and the "Goodness of Fit" concept. The most practical resource for building your coaching practice.

Core Coaching Text • Modules II, III, IV

Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach

Peg Dawson, EdD & Richard Guare, PhD • Guilford Press

The accessible companion to the clinical text. Written for parents and educators, it translates the 11 executive skills into everyday language with ready-to-use strategies. Excellent for client education and parent coaching.

Client Education • Modules III, V

Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents

Russell A. Barkley, PhD • Guilford Press

Barkley's guide for parents and professionals working with children and adolescents with ADHD. Covers the science in plain language and provides concrete behavioral strategies rooted in the inhibition model.

Family Coaching • Module V

Coaching Students with Executive Skills Challenges

Peg Dawson, EdD & Richard Guare, PhD • Guilford Press

Addresses the unique dynamics of the student-coach-parent triangle of trust. Provides scripts for distinguishing coaching from therapy and tutoring, building the Collaborative Alliance, and managing scope of practice with younger clients.

Student Coaching • Modules III, VI
Assessment

Assessment Tools

The instruments and checklists used throughout the certification program for intake, evaluation, and ongoing client monitoring.

Executive Skills Questionnaire (ESQ-R)

The primary intake and assessment tool for the certification. A self-report measure of 36 items covering 12 executive function skills across Thinking and Doing domains. Used to create an individualized Executive Skills Profile and identify top strengths and weaknesses.

Primary Intake Tool • Dawson & Guare • Open Access

Executive Functioning Skills Checklist

A quick-reference checklist covering all 11 executive function skills from the Dawson & Guare model. Used as an observational tool during sessions and a client-facing educational handout to build awareness of specific skill domains.

Download PDF 11 Skills Reference • Observation & Education Tool

Executive Function Coaching Intake Form

A structured intake template for the initial client session. Covers demographic information, presenting concerns, environmental analysis, "Goodness of Fit" assessment, current support systems, and goals. Designed to build the Collaborative Alliance from the first meeting.

Download PDF Structured Intake Template • Session 1 Tool

Certification Standards Pack

Public documentation of EFI's capstone scoring expectations and competency alignment map. Use these files to review grading criteria before enrollment and prepare stronger submissions.

Certification Governance • Internal Standards

BRIEF-2 (Referenced)

The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition. A standardized clinical instrument measuring Behavioral Regulation (BRI), Emotion Regulation (ERI), and Cognitive Regulation (CRI). Referenced in the curriculum for understanding clinical assessment frameworks.

Requires Licensure • Clinical Reference Only

Brown EF/A Scales (Referenced)

Dr. Thomas Brown's Executive Function/Attention Scales assessing the six clusters: Activation, Focus, Effort, Emotion, Memory, and Action. Referenced in the curriculum for understanding how Brown's model maps to clinical diagnostic assessment.

Requires Licensure • Clinical Reference Only
Source Access Notes

When A Source Is Not Freely Available

If a referenced tool or paper is restricted, use the source path below to obtain it legitimately.

BRIEF-2 (Clinical Instrument)

This is a licensed assessment and is not distributed as an open PDF.

  • Obtain through PAR / Pearson clinical channels
  • Use institutional psychology or school-district purchasing pathways
  • Training and qualification standards apply before administration

Brown EF/A Scales

This is a proprietary clinical tool and requires authorized acquisition.

  • Purchase through Pearson Clinical or authorized distributors
  • Use the Brown model summaries in EFI until licensed access is available
  • Check library holdings for related peer-reviewed model papers
Practice Tools

Downloadable Forms & Templates

Ready-to-use coaching tools, planners, and session templates included in the certification Launch Kit.

Executive Functioning Reproducible Forms

A collection of daily planners, weekly project planning sheets, priority matrices, and task breakdown worksheets. Designed to be printed and used collaboratively during coaching sessions or assigned as between-session tools.

  • Daily Planning Worksheets
  • Weekly Project Sheets
  • Priority Matrix Templates
  • Task Breakdown Worksheets

Intake Interview Scripts

Scripted conversation guides for conducting structured intake sessions. Includes prompts for establishing the Collaborative Alliance, assessing "Goodness of Fit," identifying environmental factors, and sharing assessment results using a strengths-first approach.

  • Initial Contact Script
  • Assessment Debrief Script
  • "Goodness of Fit" Interview Guide
  • Parent/Guardian Consultation Guide

"Get Ready, Do, Done" Planning Mats

Visual planning mats based on Sarah Ward's 360 Thinking model. Clients use these to practice backward planning — starting with the finished product and working backwards through action steps to materials needed. Available in multiple formats and complexity levels.

  • Elementary Level Planning Mat
  • Secondary Level Planning Mat
  • Adult/Professional Planning Mat
  • Red/Green/Yellow Color-Coded Versions

Session Note Templates

Structured documentation templates using the SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) format adapted for EF coaching. Ensures consistent session documentation, tracks progress toward SMART goals, and supports accountability between sessions.

  • SOAP Format Session Notes
  • Progress Tracking Sheets
  • SMART Goal Monitoring Log
  • Between-Session Accountability Forms

Time Horizon Visualizers

Visual tools for combating "time blindness" — the inability to feel the passage of time or visualize future deadlines. Includes temporal mapping exercises, analog clock worksheets, and "prediction vs. reality" tracking sheets based on Barkley's temporal horizon concept.

  • Temporal Mapping Worksheets
  • Analog Clock Exercise Sheets
  • "Prediction vs. Reality" Tracker
  • Weekly Time Horizon Calendar
Asynchronous Reference

Asynchronous Study Briefs

Self-paced reading briefs and citation packs aligned to each module. No synchronous sessions, group projects, or lecture requirements.

EFI Asynchronous Study Pack

A curated collection of asynchronous source briefs, citation summaries, and implementation notes covering EF theory, metacognition, focus, and intervention design.

  1. Barkley Inhibition Model Brief — foundational concepts and intervention implications
  2. Brown Six Clusters Brief — situational variability and assessment language
  3. Dawson & Guare Skills Brief — Thinking/Doing skill translation into plans
  4. Ward 360 Thinking Brief — future-picture planning and execution scaffolds
  5. Ethics + Scope Brief — boundaries, referral triggers, and professional standards
Open Full Source Hub

Module-Aligned Study Notes

Barkley — "30 Essential Ideas about ADHD"

Dr. Russell Barkley's reference brief distilling core ADHD and executive function principles. Covers inhibition as the keystone, the Extended Phenotype, temporal myopia, and why EF deficits are disorders of performance, not knowledge. Presented at CADDAC.

Module I • Foundational Source Brief

Harvard Center — "Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning"

The Harvard Center on the Developing Child's InBrief research brief on how executive function develops from infancy through adulthood. Companion brief to the "Building the Brain's Air Traffic Control System" working paper.

Open Research Brief Module I • Developmental Framework

Doebel — Executive Function Development Summary

A concise summary on how executive function develops in social contexts and why one-size-fits-all "brain training" claims are weak. Included as an orientation brief for new learners.

Open source link Introduction • Evidence Summary

Brown — "A New Understanding of ADHD"

Dr. Thomas Brown's model brief on his six-cluster model and the concept of Situational Variability. Explains why EF deficits are chemically modulated, not willful choices, and how the "symphony orchestra" metaphor applies to cognitive management.

Module II • Assessment Context

Ward — "360 Thinking and Executive Function"

Sarah Ward's presentation on her visual-spatial methodology for developing future-sightedness and backward planning. Demonstrates the "Get Ready, Do, Done" framework in action with concrete examples for children, adolescents, and adults.

Module IV • Applied Methodology

Dawson & Guare — "Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents"

An overview of the Dawson & Guare 12-skill model, the Executive Skills Questionnaire, and their two-tiered intervention approach. Demonstrates how to identify a client's skill profile and design targeted coaching plans based on the Thinking vs. Doing framework.

Module III • Coaching Framework

Barkley — "ADHD and Self-Regulation in Adults"

Barkley's applied brief on how EF deficits manifest in adulthood, covering workplace challenges, financial management, relationship difficulties, and the "Interest-Based Nervous System." Essential context for coaching adult and college-age populations.

Module V • Special Populations

Harvard — "Building the Brain's Air Traffic Control System"

The complete working paper (PDF) explaining how early experiences shape the development of executive function. Accompanies the InBrief brief and provides the scientific foundation for the "air traffic control" metaphor used throughout the curriculum.

Read Working Paper (PDF) Module I • Research Paper
External Links

Professional Organizations & External Resources

Key organizations and freely available guides referenced throughout the certification program.

Harvard Center on the Developing Child

A Guide to Executive Function — a detailed resource explaining what EF is, how it develops, and how it can be supported at every stage of life.

Free Resource Guide

Harvard Activities Guide

Enhancing & Practicing Executive Function Skills — age-graded activity guides for building EF capacity in children and adolescents. Included in the Module V materials.

Download PDF • Module V

EFI on GitHub

The entire EFI curriculum, website, and resources are open source. Contribute, fork, suggest improvements, or adapt the materials for your own community.

Open Source • MIT License
Role Toolkits

Parent and Educator Implementation Packs

Focused kits with practical scripts, templates, and download bundles for immediate field use.

Parent Intervention Toolkit

Home routines, time-blindness supports, activation scripts, and referral threshold guidance.

Parent Path

Educator Implementation Toolkit

Assignment chunking, transition scripts, classroom observation rubrics, and reflection prompts.

Educator Path

Ready to Put These Resources to Work?

Enroll in the certification program to gain full access to guided instruction, practicum assignments, and the complete Launch Kit.

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