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
• DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-122.2.97
• ISSN: 1944-7515

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.