MN Executive Function Scale vs Executive Functions

The Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS) is a subscription service for assessing executive function skills using a brief, standardized instrument administered on an iPad®. Executive function refers to the neuro-cognitive skills needed for successful learning and performance in school, at work, and in life. They include cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control. How does the MEFS work? The MEFS is easy to use, but is intended to be administered only by trained and certified examiners. That is how you can be sure the MEFS results and norms are reliable and valid. The App will be fully accessible to subscribing organizations with secure login credentials provided by Reflection Sciences upon signed user license agreement. FEATURES + Created by leading research experts in developmental neuroscience + Early childhood version designed for ages 2-7 + Select an avatar to play along + Virtual card-sorting game with 7 levels of challenge + Intuitive drag and drop responses + Adaptive to individual EF ability + Takes 3 to 7 min to complete (average 4 min) + Reliable, valid, and normed + Backed by a secure web portal to immediately access scores and track growth on individuals or groups + Screening provides early detection of potential EF difficulties + Formative assessment complements educational curricula and programs designed to improve EF skills + Youth and Adult U.S. norms based on over 34,000 individuals

Executive Functions are a set of cognitive processes that allows to manage complex or unusual situations successfully. They regulate analysis, planning, control and coordination of the cognitive system, and control the activation and use of knowledge processes. It is widely believed that Executive Functions play a fundamental role in 'smart' behavior and that they can be trained and improved through specific exercises. Main executive functions are the acquisition and updating of Working Memory, Cognitive Flexibility and Behavioral Inhibition. The "Executive Functions" series of apps is dedicated to the exercise and improvement of these skills. The first app, which is presented here, is dedicated to 'Working Memory', and proposes many exercises to verify, improve and use the ability to remember, recall and discriminate in the short term some elements that can be images, colors, words, voices or combinations thereof. Each exercise/level is divided into two stages: during the first, a set of stimuli is presented which must be memorized. Then, in the second stage it is required to use, list and/or discriminate between the elements presented. At the end of each exercise the app shows the result obtained and assigns scores and evaluations taking into account the relative difficulty, the number of elements proposed, the time taken and so on. "Executive Functions" contains over 200 "cards" and their names, written and recorded with a female and male voice. The ‘cards’ represent animals, food, means of transport, numbers, etc. and are used to propose 349 exercises/levels generated and managed automatically for a very high number of possible combinations.