Staff Reports
It’s the phone call that every parent of a teenager dreads receiving.
Dr. Sheri Wilkins was presenting at a seminar for parents of students with disabilities when her youngest son, who was 17, called to tell her he had been in a car accident. Although there was no evidence of severe injury, it didn’t take long before the Wilkins family realized that the seemingly mild injury had resulted in rather profound behavioral and social challenges.
It was at that time that Wilkins sought help from her friend and colleague, Carol Burmeister, an autism expert and specialist in the area of executive function deficits. This collaboration and personal experience led to the book, "FLIPP the Switch: Strengthen Executive Function Skills."
FLIPP the Switch was written for parents and educators who work with young people who may be disorganized, inflexible or impulsive and struggle with planning or problem solving due to deficits in executive function.
"Executive function deficits can negatively impact success at school, home, the community, and work,” Wilkins said. Although deficits in EF skills are often associated with autism spectrum disorders, the reality is that many young people struggle with executive functioning.
“In fact, it is accurate to say that all young people are learning EF, as these skills are not fully developed until people are well into their 20s,” Burmeister said.
EF deficits are linked to several clinical conditions, such as attention deficit disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome disorder, intellectual disability, obsessive-compulsive disorders, social communication disorder, specific learning disability, Tourette syndrome, and traumatic brain injury. Individuals with diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia may also exhibit deficits in the area of executive function.
“We have been pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction to our book and the feedback we have received from both parents and educators,” Wilkins and Burmeister, who are Apple Valley residents, said in a joint statement. The two have presented the content of their book at international conferences and at several full-day professional learning sessions for educators in California. Earlier this year, their book was listed as a No. 1 New Release on Amazon.com. FLIPP the Switch is published by Autism Asperger Publishing Company (www.aapcpublishing.net) and is available worldwide on Amazon.com and through many other bookstores and Internet retailers.
Four years following the car accident that led to the writing of FLIPP the Switch, Wilkins says her son is much improved.
“He is currently attending VVC and pursuing his dream of getting his degree,” Wilkins said. She encourages other parents of young people who are displaying challenging behavior not to give up in finding strategies that will minimize conflict and help teach desired behaviors. “It’s amazing how much difference a simple strategy, such as providing a visual choice card, can make. Parents need to know that there is hope and that they can make a huge difference through using specific practices to teach EF skills.”