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Preliminary Psychometrics for the Executive Function Challenge Task: A Novel, “Hot” Flexibility, and Planning Task for Youth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2020

Lauren Kenworthy*
Affiliation:
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders – Children’s National Medical Center, Rockville, MD, USA
Andrew Freeman
Affiliation:
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Allison Ratto
Affiliation:
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders – Children’s National Medical Center, Rockville, MD, USA
Katerina Dudley
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Kelly K. Powell
Affiliation:
Yale Child Study Center – Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Cara E. Pugliese
Affiliation:
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders – Children’s National Medical Center, Rockville, MD, USA
John F. Strang
Affiliation:
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders – Children’s National Medical Center, Rockville, MD, USA
Alyssa Verbalis
Affiliation:
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders – Children’s National Medical Center, Rockville, MD, USA
Laura G. Anthony
Affiliation:
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders – Children’s National Medical Center, Rockville, MD, USA Department of Psychiatry – University of Colorado School of Medicine; Pediatric Mental Health Institute – Children’s Hospital of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Lauren Kenworthy, Ph.D., Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children’s National Medical Center, 15245 Shady Grove Road, Suite 350, Rockville, MD20850, USA. Email: lkenwort@childrensnational.org

Abstract

Objective:

Executive functions (EF) drive health and educational outcomes and therefore are increasingly common treatment targets. Most treatment trials rely on questionnaires to capture meaningful change because ecologically valid, pediatric performance-based EF tasks are lacking. The Executive Function Challenge Task (EFCT) is a standardized, treatment-sensitive, objective measure which assesses flexibility and planning in the context of provocative social interactions, making it a “hot” EF task.

Method:

We investigate the structure, reliability, and validity of the EFCT in youth with autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder; n = 129), or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with flexibility problems (n = 93), and typically developing (TD; n = 52) youth.

Results:

The EFCT can be coded reliably, has a two-factor structure (flexibility and planning), and adequate internal consistency and consistency across forms. Unlike a traditional performance-based EF task (verbal fluency), it shows significant correlations with parent-reported EF, indicating ecological validity. EFCT performance distinguishes youth with known EF problems from TD youth and is not significantly related to visual pattern recognition, or social communication/understanding in autistic children.

Conclusions:

The EFCT demonstrates adequate reliability and validity and may provide developmentally appropriate, treatment-sensitive, and ecologically valid assessment of “hot” EF in youth. It can be administered in controlled settings by masked administrators.

Type
Brief Communication
Copyright
Copyright © INS. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2020

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