Flexible and Focused

Adel C. Najdowski, PhD, BCBA-D (she/her/hers), is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program at Pepperdine University as well as Research Manager at Halo Behavioral Health. Dr. Najdowski has provided ABA-based services to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental disabilities since 1995. She has more than 45 publications, including her books Flexible and Focused: Teaching Executive Function Skills to Individuals With Autism and Attention Disorders and A Workbook of Ethical Case Scenarios in Applied Behavior Analysis. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and has previously served for Behavior Analysis in Practice and as Guest Editor for a special issue in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and previously served on the board of directors for the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA). She is also on the disciplinary review committee (DRC) for the BACB. Her current research interests include topics related to social justice teaching higher-order skills to children, teens, and adults diagnosed with ASD. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and on podcasts and web-based shows.

1. Introduction2. Principles Behind the Lessons3. Self-Awareness, Inhibition, and Self-Management4. Attention5. Organization6. Problem Solving, Time Management, and Planning7. Working Memory8. Emotional Self-Regulation and Flexibility9. Troubleshooting