No Mind Left Behind: Understanding and Fostering Executive Control--The Eight Essential Brain Skillse Very Child Needs to Thrive

No Mind Left Behind: Understanding and Fostering Executive Control--The Eight Essential Brain Skills:Every Child Needs to Thrive (Purchased on 05/20/2009) by Adam J. Cox . Great resourcea for those wanting to learn more about executie funcion of the brain and what to do to help your child despite this.

I give thanks daily for Dr. Cox. I am a single working mother with a troubled son. We live in rural south New Jersey and it was very dificult emotionally and travel wise to take my son to doctor after doctor only to get the same old wrong answers about ADHD and pills that did not help him. I was so desperate so I began to search for myself and found Dr. Cox's book No Mind Left Behind. He expalined about some boys needing a slower timeline and lots of verbal support to make things better and suddenly I got up, threw away all the pills and wrong information, and was able to get my child the help he really needed. It was like a searchlight had suddenly turned on in the dark. If you have ever listened to a record played at the wrong speed and then listened to it at the right speed you will know that my son is now doing so well compared to before. I spoke with his teachers and showed them the book and you know what? They listened. My son no longer hates school and the kids in his class have even stopped picking on him because now he has more confidence and has goals that he can attain and build on thanks to Dr. Cox. Other experts make you doubt your child and yourself and I urge you if what you are doing is not working to get off the fence and get this book and really take a hard look at what YOU as a parent know about your child. Dr. Cox's book will tell you how and truly no mind will be left behind. Bless you!!!

I see my own children and countless others in the pages of this book. It provides all parents and teachers with a much better way to evaluate how our kids learn and what we can specifically do to help them improve their learning power, especially in this visual, fast-paced, techno-saavy age. The clear explanation of "executive skills" provides us a better lens through which to see and understand our children's abilities. Finally, a smart and caring soul who understands neuroscience research gives us new, clear measuring tools (rather than flawed standardized tests!). We all want our kids to reach their full potential for living happy, satisfying lives, and that means nourishing their brains in ways that lead to self-aware, flexible, motivated individuals. This book should be required reading for all teachers and parents! A great read.

I was a big fan of Cox's other book, Boys of Few Words. Despite the technical subtitle, I picked this up and was so happy I did. Cox's strategies for helping kids is right on target, and should be required reading for every teacher and classroom volunteer (like me) on the planet. Drawing on recent brain research, Cox makes a powerful argument that much of what we label "ADHD" (and other behavior or learning problems) stems from under-developed "executive control" skills. These are skills that develop at different rates in different children, sometimes up to the early twenties. The bottom line is that we may be unnecessarily medicating and reprimanding children who just need some extra time and attention to catch up. According to Cox, more holistic interventions can "rewire" a growing brain and help all kids, no matter where they start, be more successful. Cox is a child advocate who shows that what might look like "character faults" (bad attitudes, disorganization, laziness, etc.) are often (although not always) simply brain processing problems. He clarifies "which is which" with sound reasoning. His suggestions are research-based and practical, and his cheerful and witty prose (including some hilarious vignettes that every parent will identify with) make this a fast and fun read. Highly recommended.