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Cognitive stimulation in socioeconomically disadvantaged children with neurodevelopmental disorders: a case series
Pablo Rodríguez-Prieto1,2, Nathalia Alejandra Giral-Oliveros1, Ian Craig Simpson3
1Human Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Seville, Spain.
Insights
A cognitive stimulation program significantly improved executive functions in children. This intervention showed a greater positive impact on social cognition for children with neurodevelopmental disorders from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Socio-economic disadvantage poses risks to children's cognitive development.
- Children with neurodevelopmental disorders in such environments face compounded challenges.
- Targeted interventions are crucial for mitigating developmental risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a comprehensive cognitive stimulation program's impact on children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- To assess the program's effectiveness in socio-economically disadvantaged contexts.
- To compare intervention effects between children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders.
Main Methods:
- A case series study involving four children with neurodevelopmental disorders and a control group of 126 neurotypical children.
- Cognitive assessments were administered pre- and post-intervention.
- Participants were assigned to either a control (reading activities) or experimental (cognitive stimulation program) group.
Main Results:
- The experimental group showed significant improvements in executive functions (inhibition, flexibility, planning).
- Children with neurodevelopmental disorders in the experimental group demonstrated enhanced social cognition compared to controls and neurotypical peers.
- While language skills improved in neurotypical children, those with neurodevelopmental disorders showed less improvement in this area.
Conclusions:
- Specialized cognitive interventions benefit children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- These programs appear to have a disproportionately larger positive impact on children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Tailored cognitive stimulation is a promising approach for supporting vulnerable children.
Introduction:
Research shows how conditions in socio-economically disadvantaged environments can be a risk factor for children's cognitive development. Consequently, children with neurodevelopmental disorders growing up in such environments face a double challenge. This study analyzed the effect of a comprehensive cognitive stimulation program on 4 single case studies comprising children with neurodevelopmental disorders from Guatemala.
Methodology:
A descriptive study was conducted, using a case series approach, consisting of four participants with neurodevelopmental disorders, and a neurotypical group of 126 children. Participants in the neurotypical group were randomly assigned to either a control or experimental reference group. Cognitive assessments were performed pre- and post-intervention for all participants. Children in the experimental group received a comprehensive cognitive stimulation program between assessments. Two participants with neurodevelopmental disorders also received the stimulation program while the other two children with neurodevelopmental disorders performed the same task as the control group, specifically, regular reading activities.
Results:
The experimental group exhibited a significant improvement in executive functions (inhibition, flexibility, and planning). The two experimental group children with neurodevelopmental disorders exhibited improved social cognition, showing a larger improvement compared to neurotypical children in their group, as well as compared to the two control children. However, although the reading program improved the language skills of the neurotypical control group, the children with neurodevelopmental disorders did not show as much improvement.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that specialized interventions are beneficial for children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, but importantly, may have a larger impact on children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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