About the Author

Sheri Wilkins, PhD, has worked in the field of education for over 30 years at the preschool, elementary, high school, and university levels. She has dedicated her professional career to serving students with disabilities and building the capacity of educators to better serve this unique population. After her son Dominic sustained a mild traumatic brain injury in a car accident in 2010, Sheri gained first-hand experience in the power of environmental modifications and metacognitive strategies to support people who struggle with executive functions. It was this personal experience that led her to work with parents of children with disabilities, specifically children who may be inflexible, emotional, impulsive, and poor at planning and problem solving. Sheri worked as part of the University of California, Riverside, USA, committee that developed a certificate program for teachers in the education of students with autism and served as a reviewer in the National Professional Development Center on Autism Disorders’ 2014 update on evidence-based practices.

Carol Burmeister, MA, has served as a paraprofessional, general and special education teacher, program specialist, university instructor, and consultant in a wide variety of educational settings, which has provided her with the opportunity to work with students with unique learning challenges, including cognitive, behavioral, communication, and autism spectrum disorders. Carol has been instrumental in improving the lives of individuals with disabilities through involvement in a variety of organizations at the local, state, and national levels. With Sheri Wilkins, she worked as part of the University of California, Riverside, USA, committee that developed a certificate program for teachers in the education of students with autism and served as a reviewer in the National Professional Development Center on Autism Disorders’ 2014 update on evidence-based practices.

Reviews

"This is a fantastic tool for parents, professionals, and anyone else who connects with persons who have challenges with executive function skills. After a thoughtful, easy-to-read introduction on the difficulties experienced by those who struggle with thinking flexibly and self-monitoring their behavior, a series of concrete solutions is presented along with templates so they can be quickly and easily implemented. The ideas in this book are appropriate for learners of any age group and any ability level, including students who do not have diagnosed disabilities but struggle with executive function skills. FLIPP the Switch is a book that every parent and professional should have at the ready, like you might keep a cookbook in a kitchen. It reads like a recipe for success! I personally cannot wait to use it."- Aileen Zeitz Collucci, MA, CCC, speech-language pathologist, autism and social-communication consultant, and author of Big Picture Thinking: Using Central Coherence to Support Social Skills"The layout and ease of use of this book is fantastic! The specific tools are organized in a manner that allows educators and/or parents to access specific strategies and put them into practice right away. The visual scales are incredibly useful for students to identify and monitor their behavior and identify how they are feeling. This is a great first step to help them identify what strategies they need to implement in the moment based on their self-reporting."- Phyllis Perlroth, lead education specialist, High Tech High North County, intern credential program"As a physician, I am always in search of information on how to reduce the effects of autism from a biochemical perspective. In addition, as the father of two sons on the spectrum, I rely on practical strategies that help them to navigate their daily lives. FLIPP the Switch is just that type of practical help. It is straightforward, easy to use and put into action, and it speaks to executive functioning, which is a huge challenge for my sons and most kids on the spectrum. I highly recommend this book to parents and professionals."- Dwayne Cox, MD, anesthesiologist, and father of two on the spectrum"Problems with attention, working memory, and EF of children and youth at home and at school are commonly cited; however, practical advice about how to ease these problems is rare. That's where this book comes in, with honest and evidence-based recommendations for activities to strengthen working memory and executive function and improve focus and behavior. Readers will find clear descriptions of problems they will recognize - including self-regulation, impulse control, and difficulty linking behavior to its effects - and specific activities they can implement to help individuals with EF difficulties to cope and improve. In Flipp the Switch, long-term professional practice interfaces with a solid research base to create a set of strategies that enable parents and practitioners to feel renewed competence in supporting individuals with EF deficits. I predict this book will spend very little time sitting on a shelf."- Rollanda E. O'Connor, PhD, professor and Eady/Hendrick chair in Learning Disabilities, University of California, Riverside, and author of Teaching Word Recognition, The Handbook of Reading Interventions, and Ladders to Literacy