Purpose
The CKTA assesses executive function in children 8-12 through the child’s performance of making play dough.
The Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA) can also be accessed through Washington University’s Program in Occupational Therapy, which provides downloadable materials including the administration manual, scoring form, and recipe sheet. These resources are intended for educational and clinical use.
Direct link to CKTA materials: https://www.ot.wustl.edu/about/resources/childrens-kitchen-task-assessment-367
Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA)
Authors: Wen-Chun Yeh, Barbara M. Doucet, and Tina Fletcher
Published in 2013 in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy
Standardized scoring
Performance-based assessment
Cost: Free for clinical and research use; permission may be needed for publication or commercial use
Source:
Assessment info: https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/childrens-kitchen-task-assessment
Published study and manual details can be found in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy archives or via academic libraries
Population: Children ages 8–12 with or without cognitive impairments (e.g., ADHD, learning disabilities, developmental delays)
Setting: Pediatric occupational therapy, school-based therapy, outpatient rehabilitation, research settings
The CKTA is a standardized, occupation-based assessment designed to evaluate a child’s executive functioning skills during a familiar task—preparing chocolate pudding. The task simulates a real-world activity to identify challenges in cognitive processing and task performance.
Areas assessed include:
Executive functioning
Task sequencing
Initiation and organization
Attention and working memory
Problem solving
Safety awareness
Time Required: Approximately 15–25 minutes
The child is instructed to prepare a single-serving of chocolate pudding using provided materials
The examiner observes and documents performance and provides standardized cues if needed
Cues are given based on performance errors and are tracked for scoring
Should be administered by a licensed occupational therapist or other trained rehabilitation professional with experience in pediatric functional assessments
CKTA scoring form
Prepackaged chocolate pudding mix
Necessary kitchen utensils (spoon, bowl, measuring cup, etc.)
Access to a microwave
Timer
The CKTA evaluates five cognitive domains, scored based on the level of cueing needed:
Initiation
Organization
Sequencing
Judgment and safety
Completion
Each domain is scored on a 4-point scale:
0 = No cueing required (independent)
1 = Minimal verbal cueing
2 = Moderate cueing or demonstration
3 = Maximal cueing or direct assistance
Lower scores indicate greater independence. The total score reflects the amount and type of assistance required across all domains.
Reliability:
Demonstrated interrater reliability and internal consistency in initial studies
Validity:
Validated through comparison with established executive functioning measures and clinical observation
Norms:
Normative data is limited but was derived from pilot samples of children with and without executive dysfunction
Strengths:
Functionally relevant – Uses a familiar, real-world task that engages children
Captures executive functioning in context – Ideal for identifying subtle cognitive challenges
Standardized cueing system – Offers objective tracking of support levels
Quick and practical – Takes less than 30 minutes to administer and requires minimal materials
Supports individualized intervention planning – Results can guide treatment goals and strategies
Weaknesses:
Limited normative data – Small validation sample may limit generalizability
May not be culturally universal – Making chocolate pudding may not be meaningful in all cultural contexts
Requires kitchen access – Not feasible in all therapy environments
Not diagnostic – Should be used in conjunction with other assessments
Scoring may be subjective without training – Requires careful attention to cue levels and task execution
Stitik, J. (2017). Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/EnEd80n6u44?si=4VGOFLU_ePzhd9CA
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. (2014, November 4). Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA). Rehabilitation Measures Database. https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/childrens-kitchen-task-assessment
Yeh, W. C., Doucet, B. M., & Fletcher, T. (2013). The Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment: A performance-based measure of executive function. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(3), 312–319. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2013.006775