# D-KEF Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System

- Link: https://www.alquimedez.com/d-kef-delis-kaplan-executive-function-system
- Published: 2021-09-13T02:27:28+00:00
- Author: alquimedezhemo

Executive Function (EF) incorporates skills that have been described as the “essentials
of life” because they have a deep-rooted impact on adulthood. These are a set of
fundamental skills that assist a child in preparing for success in school, college,
and other activities in life. Although children are not born with Executive Function
skills, they do, however; have the potential to develop them.

Majority of children can learn these skills which include mental processes that 
facilitate them remember instructions, plan, focus on a task, and juggle multiple
tasks successfully. It is essential to be able to review and build up these skills
for proper development objectively. Early assessment of Executive Function skills
is imperative to establish since it can point out the need for any additional help
or intervention that a child might require.
 The Delis–Kaplan Executive Function
System (D-KEFS) is a psychometric test that is utilized for gauging a variety of
verbal and nonverbal executive functions for children above eight years of age. 
This tool was developed by Dean Delis, Joel Kramer and Edith Kaplan. It encompasses
nine tests that are designed to stand alone, and it takes 90 minutes to administer
the full battery of tests. Consequently, there are no collective measures or scores
for an examinee’s performance.

It is administered individually, and its game-like format is developed to be motivating
and engaging for children, encouraging them to perform optimally. Moreover, it does
not offer any “right/wrong” feedback as it can create frustration in some children.
Some of these tests are modifiable; however, some of these are a new indicator of
executive functions such as Word Context Test.

The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System’” (D-KEFS) is the first nationwide standardized
set of screening method that evaluates higher-level cognitive functions in children.
It is exclusively designed for the evaluation of executive functions comprising 
of inhibition, problem-solving, planning, and flexibility of thinking, impulse control,
concept formation, abstract thinking, and creativity in both verbal and spatial 
modalities.

By administering this **test**, we can understand many behaviors that children exhibit
and can assist them in improving their mental health. The results from this test
can facilitate in assessing the integrity of the frontal lobe which ultimately helps
in finding out the deficits in abstract and creative thinking. These thought processes
should be understood as they impact the decisions an individual makes in their daily
lives.

Furthermore, the results from the **evaluation** support in planning strategies 
that will help the child to cope. Likewise, multiple rehabilitation programs can
be tailored according to the child’s profile of executive-function strengths and
weaknesses.

Although IQ tests and basic achievement tests are crucial for analyzing some domains
of cognitive abilities; they do not offer information about what a child’s most 
significant cognitive abilities are i.e. the capabilities to take on creative, abstract
thinking. The Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) allows you to recognize
and then deal with executive function shortfalls in children who perform well on
IQ tests.