Impact of Attention Training on Academic Achievement, Executive Functioning, and Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities Vol. 122; no. 2; pp. 97 - 117
• Main Authors: Kirk, Hannah, Gray, Kylie, Ellis, Kirsten, Taffe, John, Cornish, Kim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 01-03-2017
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement; Attention; Attention Control; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - therapy; Australia; Behavior Change; Behavior Problems; Child; Children; Comparative Analysis; Computer Assisted Instruction; Control Groups; Developmental Disabilities; Developmental Disabilities - diagnosis; Developmental Disabilities - psychology; Developmental Disabilities - therapy; Disabled Children - education; Disabled Children - psychology; Double-Blind Method; Education, Special - methods; Emotional Disturbances; Emotional Intelligence; Executive Function; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - diagnosis; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Intellectual Disability - therapy; Intervention; Literacy; Male; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; New Zealand; Numeracy; Outcome Measures; Outcomes of Treatment; Psychometrics; Self Control; Social Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Social Behavior Disorders - psychology; Social Behavior Disorders - therapy; Training; attention; developmental disability; intellectual disability; cognitive training
• ISSN: 1944-7515
• DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-122.2.97

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience significant difficulties in attention, learning, executive functions, and behavioral regulation. Emerging evidence suggests that computerized cognitive training may remediate these impairments. In a double blind controlled trial, 76 children with IDD (4-11 years) were randomized to either an attention training (n = 38) or control program (n = 38). Both programs were completed at home over a 5-week period. Outcome measures assessed literacy, numeracy, executive functioning, and behavioral/emotional problems, and were conducted at baseline, post-training, and 3-month follow-up. No training effects were observed at post-training; however, children in the training group showed greater improvements in numeracy skills at the 3-month follow-up. These results suggest that attention training may be beneficial for children with IDD; however, the modest nature of the intervention effects indicate that caution should be taken when interpreting clinical significance.