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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 Open the ORCID record for Lauren Kenworthy [Opens in a new window] ,
Andrew Freeman ,
Allison Ratto ,
Katerina Dudley ,
Kelly K. Powell ,
Cara E. Pugliese ,
John F. Strang ,
Alyssa Verbalis  and
Laura G. Anthony
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
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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.

Keywords

AutismBehaviorADHDCognitionObjectiveMeasurement
Type
Brief Communication
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 26 , Issue 7 , August 2020 , pp. 725 - 732
Copyright
Copyright © INS. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2020

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