Aims: The aim of the present study was to examine how executive functions are assessed in children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy. Method: A systematic literature review was conducted using four bibliographic databases (WebScience, Scopus, PubMed, and Psycinfo), and only studies that evaluated at least one executive function were selected. Both the research and reporting of results were based on Cochrane's recommendations and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Results: The instrument most frequently used was the D-KEFS. All studies point to the existence of impairments in the executive functions among children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy with an impact on several cognitive and life domains. Interpretation: There is a need to further systematize the research protocols to study the executive functions and their assessment in the intervention context. Findings of this review presented a diversity of tests (e.g., D-KEFS) or tasks (e.g., The inhibitory ability task) used with children with Cerebral Palsy. However, no information was given about adaptations performed to the test/task to meet Cerebral Palsy's specificities. Future research could consider including this information, which is key both to researchers and practitioners. The results of this study have important implications and suggestions for future avenues and guidelines for research and practice.

Cerebral palsy (CP) can be considered the most frequent childhood physical disorder. The severity and type of dysfunction depend on the brain injury. Movement and posture are the most affected areas. CP is a lifelong condition, and parenting a child with this disorder brings additional challenges (e.g., dealing with grief) and needs (e.g., information). Identifying and characterizing their challenges and needs are pivotal to enrich the knowledge in this field and help draw more suitable support for parents. Interviews with 11 parents of children with CP attending elementary school were conducted. The discourse was transcribed, and a thematic analysis was performed. Three themes emerged from the data: (i) challenges of parenting a child with CP (e.g., internal challenges), (ii) crucial needs for parents to cope with a child with CP (e.g., information), and (iii) the intersection between challenges and needs of parents of children with CP (e.g., unawareness). Regarding the challenges and needs characterization, lifespan was the most frequent period of child development, and the microsystem was the context of life most reported. The findings may inform the design of educational and remediation interventions to support families of children with CP attending elementary school.

This study assessed the efficacy of an educational program focused on the promotion of school engagement in children with Cerebral Palsy. A 9 weeks, narrative-based intervention program, with a pre-post neuropsychological and self-report evaluation, was developed with a dual focus: a self-regulation theoretical model and executive function stimulation. Fifteen children with Cerebral Palsy participated in the study. Results showed a significant main effect of time (F(2.82) = 6.04, p = 0.0066, partial η² = 0.30; F(2.82) = 9.91, p = 0.0006, partial η² = 0.41; F(2.82) = 26.90, p < 0.0001, partial η² = 0.66) in the three dimensions of school engagement. Findings indicate that the program to train self-regulated competences and executive function skills was efficacious in promoting school engagement in children with Cerebral Palsy. Educational implications were discussed.

Objective: Gamification broadly refers to the use of game design elements in non-game contexts with the goal of promoting users’ engagement. Gamification strategies appear as an advantageous tool to increase the motivation and involvement of users. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify studies using gamification strategies in distinct intervention contexts and to describe their impact in each type of intervention. Thus, the focus is on the construct (gamification) rather than on a particular area or population. Results: To achieve this goal, Scopus, IEEE, Web of Science, MEDLINE, ERIC, and PsycINFO databases will be used to gather data for the systematic review. Both the research and report of results will be based on Cochrane’s recommendations and PRISMA guidelines. Data, including the assessment on the quality of the articles, will be conducted by two members of the team independently. Findings will be reported narratively. The ethical approval is not required as the research does not involve data collection. Findings will be submitted to a peer-review journal and the results will be presented on international congresses. Future reviews could consider investigating particular areas of intervention in which gamification strategies are being employed. Trial registration Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42017070508