Executive Skills Questionnaire – Revised (ESQ-R)

Background / Development

The Executive Skills Questionnaire – Revised (ESQ-R) was developed by Dawson and Guare as an updated version of their original Executive Skills Questionnaire, aligning with contemporary models of executive functioning.

It was designed to help clinicians, educators, and individuals identify strengths and weaknesses across specific executive skill domains, reflecting the behavioural expression of underlying cognitive control processes.

The revised edition refines item wording, adds age-appropriate norms, and broadens applicability across clinical and educational contexts.

Purpose / Intended Use

The ESQ-R is a self-report and observer-rated tool used to assess executive function in daily life, including areas such as planning, organization, emotional regulation, and task initiation.

It is applicable in clinical, educational, and occupational settings for both youth and adults.

Rather than providing a diagnostic label, it identifies specific executive skill deficits that can inform individualized intervention, coaching, or treatment planning.

Psychometric Properties

The ESQ-R has demonstrated sound reliability and validity in diverse samples:

• Internal consistency: α ≈ 0.85–0.90 across domains
• Test–retest reliability: r ≈ 0.80
• Construct validity: correlated with measures of attention, working memory, and emotional regulation
• Discriminant validity: differentiates ADHD and executive dysfunction profiles from typical development

These properties support its use as a practical behavioural proxy for executive function performance.

Structure and Content

The ESQ-R includes 36 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (Never or rarely true to Always or almost always true).

Items are grouped into 11 executive skill domains, reflecting common clinical frameworks:

• Response Inhibition
• Working Memory
• Emotional Control
• Task Initiation
• Sustained Attention
• Planning/Prioritization
• Organization
• Time Management
• Flexibility
• Goal-Directed Persistence
• Metacognition

Completion typically requires 5–10 minutes, and forms are available for self, parent, teacher, or clinician ratings.

Scoring and Interpretation

Scores are averaged within each executive skill domain to identify relative strengths and weaknesses.

Higher scores indicate greater proficiency or consistency in that skill area; lower scores suggest areas of executive challenge.

Profiles can be compared across self- and observer-ratings to examine awareness gaps or contextual variability.

Interpretation should guide targeted skill development strategies rather than serve as a diagnostic cutoff.

Clinical Application

The ESQ-R is widely used in ADHD assessment, executive function coaching, and intervention planning.

It helps identify specific skill deficits that can be addressed through behavioural strategies, environmental supports, or therapy interventions.

In adult populations, it can inform occupational functioning assessments, while in educational settings, it supports Individualized Education Plan (IEP) development and progress monitoring.

References / Sources

Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2018). Executive Skills Questionnaire – Revised (ESQ-R). In Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.