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Picture a student who aces class discussions but rarely turns in homework on time, or one who understands the material but freezes or acts out when the routine changes. Instead of jumping to conclusions about a student’s ability or motivation level, it’s good to take a step back to see what might be happening behind the scenes, such as an underdevelopment of executive function skills. Executive function skills are the brain’s self-management tools — like planning, organization, time management, and self-control — that help students stay on task and reach goals. When a student needs to deliver academically, executive functions get them started, keep them on track, and help them cross the finish line. By contrast, when students struggle with executive functions, the impact on academics and overall school success can be widespread.

Educators sometimes feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, encountering a trio of formidable challenges along the Yellow Brick Road: reading difficulties (dyslexia), writing difficulties (dysgraphia), and math difficulties (dyscalculia). These three learning disabilities are distinct in their core features – dyslexia affects reading and spelling, dysgraphia impacts writing (especially handwriting and spelling), and dyscalculia involves persistent trouble with number sense and math – yet they often travel together in the same student. In other words, it’s not unusual for a child to experience a mix of reading, writing, and math needs all at once.

Get a first look at the BASC-4 (Behavior Assessment System for Children, Fourth Edition) and how it supports meaningful insight from screening through comprehensive evaluation. This brief overview highlights key updates and innovations designed to help inform confident decision-making. Watch the video below to explore what’s new with the BASC-4.  

Long considered a cornerstone of academic assessment, the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) provides a comprehensive, standardized and research-backed framework for evaluating achievement. Now, after more than two decades, a major update is arriving for French-speaking students across Canada, with the introduction of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test–Fourth Edition, Canadian French (WIAT-4 CDN-F). 

The latest edition reflects modern needs by introducing contemporary Canadian norms and features new subtests and composite scoring for more accurate results. Digital administration enables faster and more efficient testing, thereby increasing access to learners and enhancing efficiency for clinicians. 

What’s Ahead in season two of the podcast series, “The Progress Profile: Alzheimer’s Research in Focus.”

In my first post in this blog series, I explained how the D-KEFS™ Advanced represents a significant departure from traditional revisions of paper-pencil cognitive tests. We went all in and developed digital-only tests that are administered and scored exclusively on iPads. Unlike the WISC-5, WAIS-5, and WMS-5, which offer both print and digital-assist formats, the new D-KEFS Advanced has no print equivalent. There are no paper stimuli, record forms, or physical manipulatives, such as the round chips and wooden pegs used in the original D-KEFS Tower Test. Instead, examinees use a stylus to interact directly with the Client iPad, which presents the test stimuli and digital manipulatives, and automatically captures and scores responses. Examiners work solely from the Practitioner iPad, which provides instructions, prompts, timing, and a real-time record of the examinee’s responses.