Unstuck and On Target! Ages 14-22: An Executive Function Curriculum to Support Self-Determination, Flexibility, Planning, and Organization

Do you work with teens and young adults who struggle with executive function? This new Unstuck and On Target! curriculum will help them build the executive function skills they need to succeed in high school and make a smooth transition to postsecondary education and adult life.

The latest addition to the popular, evidence-based Unstuck and On Target!, this curriculum includes 25 lessons on topics that are key to success in school and life: thinking flexibly, setting goals, making a plan, managing time, working with others, engaging in self-advocacy, and more.

Taught in small groups or whole classes in any setting, these weekly lessons include catchy scripts, memorable visuals, engaging role-plays, and motivation and reminder strategies to help teens and young adults learn critical skills. Lessons and scripts build on each other, and students get many opportunities to practice and generalize their new skills to school, home, and community settings.

With this proven, highly effective approach to executive function intervention, students will develop the skills they need to navigate high school and enjoy a successful, self-determined adult life.

Unstuck and On Target! Benefits:

• Explicitly designed for teens and young adults. Developed with the input of students in the 14–22 age range, this version of Unstuck addresses the more complex executive function demands students experience as they approach adulthood.
• Helpful for a wide range of students. This curriculum is designed for anyone struggling with executive functions, including students who are on the autism spectrum or have ADHD.
• Meets the needs of MTSS Tier 2 learners. This curriculum is one of the few tailored to the needs of Tier 2 students who need more focused instruction.
• Engaging and easy to implement. You’ll get explicit, step-by-step routines, scripts, and age-appropriate activities that keep students engaged as they learn.
• Ideal for in-person and virtual settings: Includes digital posters, PowerPoint presentations, home extension activities, and digital student and parent workbooks.

Cara E. Pugliese, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, and Pediatrics at the George Washington University Medical School, and clinical psychologist at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children’s National Hospital. Dr. Pugliese received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Richmond and her doctoral degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Pugliese specializes in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with an emphasis on transition to adulthood. Her research interests include the development, evaluation, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based interventions into community settings to reduce disparities in access to care and improve quality of life for autistic individuals. In this context, she values community-based participatory research methods and stakeholder partnerships to ensure that interventions are relevant, strengths-based, and engaging. Dr. Pugliese has authored or co-authored more than 20 publications and received or participated in 10 externally funded research grants.

Lauren Kenworthy, Ph.D., is Professor of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine, Associate Chief of the Neuropsychology Division and Director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children’s National Health System. Dr. Kenworthy received her bachelor of arts degree from Yale University and her doctoral degree from the University of Maryland. Her research interests are in describing, supporting and treating neuropsychological phenotypes in autism. She is the author of more than 85 peer-reviewed publications, three treatment manuals, and a coauthor of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. She has participated in more than 25 funded research projects related to executive function, treatment evaluation and child development.

Monica Adler Werner, LCPC, is a Program Director for Development, Training and Consulting at The Ivymount School and parent coach in the Washington, D.C., area. Prior to that she was the director of the Model Asperger Program (MAP) at The Ivymount School. In that capacity, she has spearheaded the development of a social learning curriculum that emphasizes problem solving, self-advocacy and self-regulation while keeping students on track academically. She is a coauthor of the first edition of Unstuck and On Target! (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2011) and Solving Executive Function Challenges: Simple Ways to Get Kids with Autism Unstuck and on Target (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2014). She is the coauthor of numerous papers and posters about working with children with Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism. Prior to joining The Ivymount School staff, Ms. Werner co-founded of Take2 Summer Camp, a program designed to pilot the application of evidence-based social skills programs. Ms. Werner has an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She has completed the coursework for her Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification.

Katie C. Alexander, OTD, OTR/L, is an Occupational Therapist, a Clinician-Researcher, and Founder of The Occupational Therapy Institute, an organization dedicated to innovation and high-quality, evidence-based practices. Dr. Alexander received her bachelor of science and postprofessional graduate degrees from the University of Kansas Medical Center. For almost two decades, she has specialized in community and school-based intervention for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and served as the founding program director for the Model Asperger Program at The Ivymount School. Her research and clinical interests are in developing interventions and supports that improve the daily lives of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. Through her work as an author and national presenter, Dr. Alexander remains committed to enhancing evidence-based and collaborative practices across professional disciplines.

Lynn Cannon, M.Ed., is a Social Learning Specialist at The Ivymount School and The Maddux School. Ms. Cannon received her master’s degree in special education from the University of Virginia. For more than 15 years, she has worked as an educator, administrator, and program director, serving students with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Ms. Cannon is also a coauthor of Solving Executive Function Challenges: Simple Ways to Get Kids with Autism Unstuck and on Target (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2014), a resource guide for teachers and parents,The Conversation Club (Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2018), an instructional manual for teaching conversation skills to students with neurodevelopmental disabilities and IvySCIP, an assessment, individualized education program development tool, and curricular resource for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Her research and teaching interests are in developing interventions and support materials for students with neurodevelopmental disabilities, therapists, educators, and their families.

John F. Strang, PsyD, is a neuropsychologist and the Director of the Gender and Autism Program at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr. Strang completed his bachelor and master’s degrees in music at the University of Michigan and his doctoral degree in clinical psychology at George Washington University. His research focuses on adolescent development, including the impact of executive functioning differences on a young person’s ability to effectively advocate for their needs. Dr. Strang is an expert in autism and gender, including the common intersection of autism and gender diversity. Community-based participatory research methods, partnering with autistic community members to drive research priorities, is a focus of Dr. Strang’s work. Dr. Strang identifies as neurodivergent and celebrates that multiple members of his family are on the autism spectrum.

Laura Gutermuth Anthony, Ph.D., is a psychologist and a Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Dr. Anthony completed a dual degree doctoral program in clinical and developmental psychology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, in 1997. She has focused most of her research and clinical work on children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and authored o coauthored more than 75 publications. She has also received or participated in 32 externally funded research grants. She has specialized training and research experience using Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods and partnerships to develop interventions, contextualize and disseminate results and implement findings in the community. In 2021, she was appointed the inaugural Director of Research for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Colorado.