The Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitation and Floortime Play Therapy on Time Perception in Students with...

Individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently exhibit impairments in executive functions, including time perception, which can significantly impact their academic and social lives. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation and Floortime play therapy in improving time perception among students with ADHD.

This study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test design with a two-month follow-up phase. The study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, between June and August 2023. Using convenience sampling method, 45 students diagnosed with ADHD were included in the study, and randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups or a control group (n=15 per group). One experimental group received cognitive rehabilitation therapy, while the other received Floortime play therapy. Both interventions consisted of weekly sessions, with 20 sessions lasting 45 minutes each. Time perception was assessed using the Time Questionnaire for Children (TQC). Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests were used for data analysis, with a significance level set at 0.05.

The results demonstrated that both cognitive rehabilitation (M=21.70±2.61) and Floortime play therapy (M=18.60±2.44) were significantly more effective than the control group (M=11.31±2.83) in improving time perception (P<0.001). Furthermore, both interventions were significantly more effective than the control group in improving time perception and its constituent components (temporal orientation, temporal sequencing, objective time, subjective time, and time estimation) (P<0.001). No significant difference was found between the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation and Floortime play therapy in improving time perception in students with ADHD. These findings remained stable at the two-month follow-up.

This study provides evidence that both cognitive rehabilitation and Floortime play therapy can significantly enhance time perception in students with ADHD, with no significant difference in effectiveness observed between the two interventions. These findings offer clinicians and educators two viable options for addressing time perception difficulties in this population and contribute to a better understanding of effective interventions for executive function impairments in ADHD.