The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship among psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and goal-directed behaviors controlled by executive function, as measured by the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y), the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), and the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI). Participants completed the AFQ-Y, CAMM, and CEFI as part of a Midwestern alternative school’s curriculum. Data was collected for 30 participants (male = 28, female = 2) with approval from the school. The results indicate a significant relationship between the AFQ-Y and CAMM (r = -0.7711, p < 0.0001), CAMM and CEFI (r = -0.3226; p = 0.0821), AFQ-Y and the emotion regulation subscale (r = -0.5018; p = 0.0047), as well as the working memory subscale of the CEFI (r = -0.3622; p = 0.0492), and the CAMM and the emotion regulation subscale (r = 0.494; p = 0.0055), organization subscale (r = 0.3723; p = 0.0427), and working memory subscale (r = 0.4725; p = 0.0084). The results are beneficial for clinicians who specialize in providing treatment to children and adolescents with development disabilities and various other disorders. Limitations and future research are also discussed within the current study.

Executive functioning usually refers to one’s ability to regulate one’s behavior, set goals, be mentally flexible, and understand the consequence of one’s actions. However, certain neurodevelopmental disabilities such as Autism, often can negatively impact executive function processes. Although applied behavior analytic (ABA) treatment is the most recommended intervention for autism treatment practitioners rarely assess or target executive functioning within their treatment planning. The present study assessed the relationship between direct and indirect executive functioning scores and a language assessment used by ABA providers. Thirty-nine children with autism spectrum disorder were administered a variety of scales including the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF 2), Comprehensive Executive Functioning Inventory (CEFI), Tower of London (TOL), and the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment (PCA). Obtained data yielded a moderate, negative relationship between the total BRIEF and total PCA scores (r=-0.521, p=.032) and a moderate, positive relationship between CEFI planning and PCA scores (r=0.394, p=.017). However, there was a strong correlation between total PCA scores and TOL scores (r=0.708, p=.005).

This study examined the relationship between executive function and externalizing behaviors within a student population that was assessed for special education services. Executive function was measured by using the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI). Externalizing behaviors and school problems was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3). Four separate structural equation models were produced and analyzed to examine this relationship. The results from this study indicate that there is a significant direct effect from executive function on externalizing behaviors and school problems, such that higher scores in executive function yielded lower externalizing behavior and school problems scores. Differences in average full scale CEFI scores were noted between types of special education placements and between various groupings of students in regards to what category they qualified in. The data indicates programs that facilitated more environmental supports and services had students with lower full scale CEFI scores, while students that qualified under Other Health Impairment and Emotional Disturbance shared comorbid features with other distinct processing deficits.

Executive function (EF) processes are crucial for meeting demands in the classroom. Because of this impact on schooling, it is important to have tools that accurately measure EF in order to facilitate the identification of student needs and the development of interventions. This project assessed the concurrent, criterion-related validity of one of these tools, the Comprehensive Executive Functioning Inventory, Self-Report (CEFI-SR; Naglieri & Goldstein, 2013). This study correlated adolescents’ reports about their own behavior to scores derived from a direct measure of executive function to determine if teens were able to accurately rate their own EF abilities, indicating that the CEFI-SR had concurrent validity. Seventy-nine seventh and eighth grade students from a suburban middle school were recruited. The average age for the sample was 13 years and 10 months old, and 62% of the sample consisted of female students. Participants completed the CEFI-SR in small groups, and then, the lead examiner returned to the school to complete direct one-on-one testing with each student. Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations and t-tests. The t-tests were used to determine if significant differences between groups were present. Results from the t-tests indicated that there were no significant differences in performance across genders or grades. Additionally, no significant correlations were found between the rating scale scores and the results of the direct testing. These findings do not support the hypotheses that the CEFI-SR subscales would have moderate correlations with the direct testing scores from the NEPSY-II, indicating that the two measures may not be measuring the same constructs. / School Psychology