Effect of training focused on executive functions (attention, inhibition, and working memory) in preschoolers exhibiting ADHD symptoms

The development of early intervention strategies for the control of attention and working memory for young children is important because it provides an opportunity to prevent severe behavioral problems in the future. The literature shows that research is needed on the psychoeducational interventions for young children to be carried out at schools, possibly in groups and in the context of everyday activities. The preliminary available evidence seems promising and shows the long-term effects on the prevention of behavioral oppositional and disruptive problems. However, until now, psychoeducational interventions have mainly focused on behavioral strategies using contingence analyses and reinforcement techniques without deeply considering the associated neuropsychological problems. The present study examines the specific case of an intervention on the executive functions of primary school children in order to determine the efficacy of group trainings for the control of attention or working memory involving six-year-old children. Twenty-two children, attending the first year of primary school, were randomly divided in two conditions: attention training or working memory training. Before and after the training all children were assessed with a teachers’ rating scale, a stop-signal test, a working memory test and an impulsivity control test. The pre-test was followed by 16 one-hour sessions distributed over a eight-week period, twice a week. Children showed a similar improvement in teacher rating scales and in the task measuring their control of attention and impulsivity, with some specific effects related with the specific type of training. The cognitive trainings resulted easy to be implemented within the schools usual activities, were well received by children, teachers, and parents and produced specific effects related to the structure and the pre-established goals of the program. It is concluded that results confirm the importance of an early and timely intervention on executive functions in young children.