Improving Academic Executive Functioning for Autistic Middle Schoolers: The Achieving Independence and Mastery in School (Aims) Clinician Workbook

Improving Academic Executive Functioning for Autistic Middle Schoolers is an intervention manual comprised of a structured curriculum for clinicians with the primary goal of providing support and strategies to autistic adolescents and their parents/caregivers.

Achieving Independence and Mastery in School (AIMS) is an 8-week intervention that targets the development and improvement of academic executive functioning skills (e.g., problem solving, organization, planning) to facilitate positive outcomes at home and at school. AIMS consists of weekly 90-minute sessions attended by both the caregiver and their autistic adolescent in the outpatient setting. The evidence-based, manualized curriculum includes content and handouts for each session that can be easily administered by clinicians.

This book is an integral purchase for clinicians who seek to fill the gap in academic support for autistic adolescents. Not only does it provide clinicians with direct instruction on strategies targeting executive functions that are challenging to autistic teens, but it also incorporates the caregiver as a coach who can continue supporting the teen in utilizing these essential skills as they transition to high school and the adult world. The views expressed by the authors do not reflect those of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Education, or Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Amie Duncan is a clinical psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She has been working with autistic children, adolescents, and young adults for over 20 years.

Leanne Tamm is a clinical psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She specializes in ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, reading disorders, and children born prematurely.