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An open trial of a metacognitive executive function training for young children with ADHD
Leanne Tamm1, Paul A Nakonezny2, Carroll W Hughes2
1Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA leanne.tamm@cchmc.org.
Objective:
Executive functioning is impaired in children with ADHD and putatively related to the pathogenesis of ADHD. The authors developed an innovative treatment teaching parents to administer a metacognitive executive function training intervention with children, promoting positive interactions during activities designed to improve attention and self-regulation.
Method:
A total of 24 young children with ADHD and their parents participated in an 8-week open trial of the intervention designed to assess feasibility and initial efficacy.
Results:
The intervention is feasible and accepted by parents as shown by high attendance/adherence, low attrition, and satisfaction ratings. Improvements in executive functions (visual/auditory attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) with corresponding improvements in parent ratings of executive functioning were observed. Reduced inattention symptoms were reported.
Conclusion:
Executive functioning training is a promising approach to treating young children with ADHD and holds promise for generalizability because parents are trained to be interventionists and coached to apply the strategies to alternative domains.
