Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA): A Performance-Based Assessment of Executive Function Piloted With At-Risk Adolescents

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. We piloted the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA), a performance-based measure of executive function (EF), to establish a baseline for at-risk adolescents.METHOD. Participants were 113 youths ages 16-21 who were enrolled at a charter school for youth returning to high school after dropping out. We administered the WCPA and collected demographic information.RESULTS. On average, participants spent 15.9 min on the WCPA, made 7.9 errors, and followed 4.0 of 5 possible rules. No ceiling effect was observed in overall accuracy. Participants used a mean of 3.1 strategies (standard deviation 5 1.9) while completing the WCPA. Participants who used more strategies spent more time planning and completing the task and were more accurate.CONCLUSION. The WCPA may be useful to occupational therapists as a performance measure of EF. This assessment allows evaluation of complex task performance, strategy use, self-evaluation of performance, and error patterns, which can be used in developing intervention strategies.

Daily Performance of Adolescents with Executive Function Deficits: An Empirical Study Using a Complex-Cooking Task

“…Because EF are important for coping with and managing daily life challenges, it is important, in addition to the standard neuropsychological testing, to examine them within the context of challenging activities and everyday life contexts (i.e., ecological assessment) to obtain a complete picture of a person's functioning [14]. Barkley [15] described ecological validity as the extent to which performance evaluated in a laboratory represents the actual behaviors of interest as they occur in natural settings.…”

“…Performance-based assessments such as the CCT have the potential to detect EF difficulties because its tasks capture the complexity of real-life performance [32][33][34]. These kinds of assessments allow clinicians to not only evaluate the testing outcome, but also analyze the process, including the client's general approach, strategy use, online control, and observable problem-solving behavior [14].…”

Increasing Competency for Parents of Adolescents with Executive Functioning Deficits: Enhancing Occupational Performance with Mindfulness

“…They improve significantly during the middle school years and mature through adolescence and young adulthood as occupational demands become increasingly complex (Tabor Connor & Maeir, 2011). Resulting executive skill development in typically developing adolescents is observed in the emerging levels of interdependence and independence in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, education, work, leisure, and social participation (Williamson Weiner, Toglia, & Berg, 2012).…”

“…Adolescents (aged 9 to 21 years) who are unable to function independently because of executive functioning deficits are at risk for difficulties in all domains of occupational functioning (Tabor Connor & Maeir, 2011). Williamson Weiner, Toglia, and Berg (2012) noted that an adolescent's ability to execute goal-directed behaviors associated with executive functioning predicts success (or failure) in life management tasks required for future adulthood. Adolescents may experience decreased motivation to participate because of the inability to navigate complex tasks or make decisions.…”

Executive Functioning: Relationship with High School Student Role Performance

“…Regardless of the inability of experts to agree on an exact definition of executive function, individuals present to clinicians for help with EDF (Maeir et al, 2014;Miranda, Presentación, Siegenthaler, & Jara, 2013;Williamson Weiner, Toglia, & Berg, 2012). A lack of specificity in the definition of executive function is of particular interest to occupational therapists since the deficits in daily performance are a cornerstone to the identification of EDF and effective treatment.…”