Continuing Education

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The SourceŽ for Development of Executive Functions

Author: Gail J. Richard, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Jill Fahy, MA, CCC-SLP

CEUs offered: 0.5

CEEs offered: 5

Introductory Level; Professional Area

Activity Description

This course provides an overview of the characteristics of executive functions in children including how they present, how to assess them, and how to treat them in children with a wide range of developmental communication disorders. This course includes a list of assessment instruments and checklists for informal assessments.

Activity Audience

This presentation is for Speech-Language Pathologists.

Learner Objectives

Participants who complete this course will be able to:

  • Identify the components of, problems in, anatomy, and physiology of executive functions
  • Discuss how the brain works and executive functions develop and impact the growth of cognitive skills and self-control
  • Describe the components of executive functions disorders associated with a variety of developmental communication disorders
  • Identify assessment techniques and global treatment approaches that benefit the child with executive function deficits
  • Identify and describe seven variables to consider for a treatment plan

Author Biography

Gail J. Richard, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a professor in and Chair of the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Gail's teaching at the university and in workshops around the country focuses on childhood developmental language disorders, learning disabilities, medical syndromes, and selective mutism. Prior to twenty-five years in the university setting, Gail worked in the public schools, serving preschool through high school-aged students. She especially enjoys the diagnostic challenge of differentiating among the various aspects of developmental disorders.

Gail's professional awards include being named as a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Distinguished Alumnus of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and Eastern Illinois University, and five Faculty Excellence Awards. She has served on the ASHA Legislative Council since 1991.

Jill Fahy, MA, CCC-SLP is assistant professor at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston, IL. She earned a bachelor's degree in French before pursuing her master's degree in speech pathology from the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign. For a number of years, Ms. Fahy worked as a medical SLP, treating mostly adults with acquired brain injuries. She specialized in the treatment of cognitive impairments resulting from frontal lobe and right hemisphere lesions, particularly those high level deficits which impacted vocational and community independence.

Ms. Fahy is co-author of The SourceŽ for Development of Executive Functions, published by LinguiSystems, Inc. She is a nationally-known speaker on the topic of executive function development and disorders. At Eastern Illinois University, she is a highly-sought after diagnostician for children with disorders of right hemisphere development and concomitant executive function deficits, primarily for Asperger's and Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Ms. Fahy teaches courses in acquired language disorders, and developmental disorders of executive functions and the right hemisphere.


This presentation, "The SourceŽ for Development of Executive Functions", was funded in its entirely by LinguiSystems, Inc. 

LinguiSystems, Inc is approved by the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide continuing education activities in speech-language pathology and audiology. See course information for number of ASHA CEUs, instructional level and content area. ASHA CE Provider approval does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedures.

Certified members of the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) can accumulate continuing education equivalents (CEEs) for their participation with LinguiSystems, Inc. One hour of coursework equals 1 CEE. All CASLPA members are encouraged to participate in on-going education.