We studied whether delivering in-home CPS improved EF skills over time by looking at youth, caregiver, and staff reports and administering objective, tablet-based neuropsychological tests. CPS was associated with building youth’s overall EF skills, specifically flexible thinking, attention, and working memory skills. We also wanted to explore what factors might predict these changes and learned that the more caretakers embraced the philosophy of CPS (remember it’s about skill, not will), the more skill growth happened, resulting in better behavior. These findings provide empirical validation of the theory of change behind the CPS approach: behavior is determined by skill, not will. When we shift our thinking to realize this and focus on practicing problem-solving instead of relying on incentives, EF skills improve, resulting in behavior changes.
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This article originally appeared on PsychologyToday.com.