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Administering MEFS® - Tips for Child Engagement

The MEFS® is a multilevel task designed for children as young as 24 months of age and older. This guide outlines potential solutions to child engagement issues that may arise during administration. You can also download a PDF of this guide.

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Written by Isaac Van Wesep
Updated over a week ago

Remember: Accurate measurement depends on both following the task protocol and thoughtfully observing the child’s responses. Notes on attention, frustration, or unusual behavior provide valuable context for interpreting results.

1. Ensuring Child Engagement

  • Examiners should ensure that the child is attending to the tablet during directions and at the start of each trial.

  • If a child’s attention drifts despite your efforts, this is still relevant to measurement—continue the task.


2. Handling Requests for Help or Expressions of Frustration

  • Children may ask for help or show frustration. Review the "Commonly Asked Questions by Students" guide for examples of typical student requests.

  • If a child expresses frustration over repeated instructions or labeling, the Examiner can respond:
    “The rules are repeated because that is how the game is played.”

  • Once a card is placed in a box, the trial is complete, even if the child wishes to change their answer.


3. Managing “Silly” Behavior

  • Purposeful silliness often indicates confusion or difficulty with task switching.

  • Accept the child’s response, as it may still accurately reflect executive function skills.

  • Note this behavior in the Examiner Comments section.

  • Consider reassessing the child on a different day to determine if challenges were due to a specific task level, disinterest, or an off day.


4. Refusal to Complete the Task

  • If a child refuses and the Examiner has made multiple attempts to redirect, the administration must be discarded.

Click the icon in the upper right corner with three lines and a downward-facing arrow. Then, click “Upload Assessment” and select “Yes, upload current game data”. This will make the assessment show as “Invalid” in the “Children” tab, but signals to Administrators that an attempt was made to complete the assessment.

Download a PDF of this guide:

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