Executive function deficits: the SLP’s role, per ASHA
ASHA says that SLPs “play a central role in the screening, assessment, and treatment of persons with EF deficits.” This page quotes ASHA only.
Quoted from official pages checked November 12, 2026. Confirm current information on those sites. This page is not medical advice and does not describe any patient’s care.
Source read on November 12, 2026: ASHA’s Practice Portal page Executive Function Deficits.
ASHA’s Practice Portal pages are written for clinicians. Quotes below stop before ASHA’s in-text research citations.
What executive function is
ASHA states that executive function “refers to a group of interrelated cognitive processes, including but not limited to controlling initiation and inhibition; sustaining and shifting attention; organization; goal setting, and completion; and determining plans for the future.” It adds: “Taken together, these skills allow individuals to plan and execute tasks as well as to interact and communicate successfully with others.”
Roles ASHA lists for SLPs
- “Identifying signs and symptoms of EF deficits.”
- “Screening and assessment for EF deficits, including the use of both informal and formal tools.”
- “Providing treatment for EF deficits, documenting progress, adapting and adjusting treatment plans based on patient performance, and determining appropriate discharge criteria.”
- “Including patients and caregivers in the development of a treatment plan.”
Scope and payment
ASHA states: “SLPs with competency in the identification of EF deficits can look to their state licensure scope of practice and legislation related to diagnosis. Reimbursement entities may limit reimbursement of services to individuals with this diagnosis.”
What this page does not do
It does not repeat ASHA’s assessment tools, treatment approaches, or research summaries. It is not medical advice and does not recommend any treatment, medicine, device, or product. Scope of practice is set by state law; check your state board.