(CEFI) Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory

BY JACK A. NAGLIERI, PHD AND SAM GOLDSTEIN, PHD

The Comprehensive Executive Function lnventory (CEFI) is a comprehensive behavior rating scale of executive-function strengths and weaknesses. Completed in just 15 minutes, the CEFI is a versatile instrument that offers information that can be used to guide assessment, diagnosis, and intervention for children and adolescents. In addition to clinical use, it is also useful in research settings because it can effectively measure the success of intervention programs.

Use Nine CEFI Scales and Interpretive Reports to Guide Intervention

The CEFI includes three rating scales: Parent Form and Teacher Form for ages 5 to 18, and Self-Report Form for ages 12 to 18. Each rating scale contains 100 items on a Likert-type scale. Ninety of the items on each form are distributed among the following nine scales:

• Attention
• Emotion Regulation
• Flexibility
• Inhibitory Control
• Initiation
• Organization
• Planning
• Self-Monitoring
• Working Memory

Scores from these scales can be used to pinpoint targets for intervention, and a Full Score is calculated by adding these 90 responses together. In addition, a Consistency Index, Negative Impression scale, and Positive Impression scale are provided.

Each form offers three reports:

• Interpretive Report: Detailed results from one administration
• Progress Monitoring and Treatment Effectiveness Report: Evaluation of score changes over time for up to four administrations from the same rater
• Comparative Report: Analysis of scores from two to five different raters

Effective and Reliable in a Variety of Settings

Reliability and validity data indicate that the CEFI has strong psychometric validity. Normative samples (1,400 for Parent and Teacher Forms and 700 for the Self-Report Form) are stratified to match the U.S. Census in regard to race/ethnicity, region, and parental education level (PEL, for the Parent and Self-Report Forms).