Performance-based measure of executive function: comparison of community and at-risk youth.

Overview

OBJECTIVE: We compared abilities and strategy use of at-risk youth aged 16-21 yr with those of a community sample of high school students using a performance measure of executive function, the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA). METHOD: We recruited students from an alternative school for at-risk youth (n = 113) and from community high schools in the same region (n = 49). We collected demographic information from and administered the WCPA to both groups. RESULTS: The at-risk group made more errors, used fewer strategies, and broke more rules than the community group; however, the groups were similar in average time for planning and task completion. Moderate relationships were found between WCPA and academic performance in the at-risk group. CONCLUSION: Comparison of at-risk and community youth provides support for discriminant validity of the WCPA and indicates that the WCPA is useful in identifying adolescents who are at risk for occupational performance deficits.

The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association Journal