Executive Skills
- Underlying theory
- Executive skills in the context of brain function and child development
Assessment of Executive Skills
- Parent/teacher/student interviews
- Behavior rating scales
- Observations
- Informal assessment
- Formal assessment
Intervention Strategies
- Environmental modifications to reduce the impact of weak executive skills
- Teaching strategies to help children develop/improve executive functioning
- Using incentives to help practice or use skills that are difficult
Keys to Effective Intervention Design
- Match the child’s developmental level
- Use the child’s innate drive for mastery and control
- Begin with environmental modifications
- Effortful tasks and ways to make them less difficult
- Use incentives to augment instruction
- Provide the minimum support necessary
- Apply supports and interventions until the child achieves mastery or success
- Gradually fade supports, supervision and incentives
Limitations of the Research and Potential Risks
- Limited empirical evidence for the approach
- Approach integrates evidence-based practices such as ABA and RTI
- No “one size fits all” for any treatment modality


