TEST REVIEW Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function

Child neuropsychologists are often asked to determine whether a child experiencing dif®culties in the academic setting has a speci®c learning disability, attentional de®cit, memory impairment, or some combination of these problems. There is less recognition by referral sources that another explanation might be contributory, i.e., presence of impaired executive function. Children with neurological disorders are also subject to the types of behavioral problems correctly subsumed under the broad construct `̀ executive function''. Therefore, there is a need to reliably obtain valid information that assists in the differential diagnosis and treatment planning for these children. Practitioners now recognize and assess discrete behaviors that re ̄ect executive function problems despite the absence of formal recognition of an executive function disability, e.g., in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition. To date, the professional attempting to understand the child's executive function competence in the real-world setting has been at a disadvantage despite a growing literature on theory and behavioral expression of executive function problems (Denckla, 1989; 1994; Lyon & Krasnegor, 1996; Stuss & Benson, 1986; Welsh & Pennington, 1988; Welsh, Pennington, & Grossier, 1991). Available standardized test instruments, including behavioral scales and questionnaires, do not capture the qualitative aspects of a full range of these problems suf®ciently well or fail to assess aspects of this domain entirely. Further, the important supplemental history-taking that is essential for a comprehensive evaluation is itself limited when the interviewer neglects to ask about central executive function behavioral features. An existing shortcoming quantifying a broad range of executive function components has been eliminated by the publication of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), a test that has normative data for children aged 5 to 18 years. The BRIEF is the end result of the collaboration of four neuropsychologists who over the last several years have meticulously planned, researched and experimentally validated a questionnaire appropriate for parent, caregiver and teacher. Early scienti®c presentations suggested that this instrument held much promise, and the pre-publication research use of the questionnaire by nonauthor professionals resulted in considerable enthusiasm for this undertaking. Publication of the BRIEF by Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. now makes it possible for others to appreciate the additional informative data about executive function that can be obtained and incorporated as part of a screening, comprehensive child evaluation, or research protocol. Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. has produced a user-friendly Professional Manual and set of test materials. The BRIEF questionnaire package arrives with the Professional Manual, and packages of an 86 question Parent Form, a