Cognitive Rehabilitation Training in Improving Executive Function, Antisocial Behaviors, and Legal Problems in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ ADHD) is one of the most prevalent childhood diseases, and it may substantially influence social behaviors, legal issues, and disputes. The goal was to see how cognitive rehabilitation training affected executive functioning and impulsivity in children with ADHD in Tehran, District 5.

A quasi-experimental design was used, with two groups (experimental and control) and a pretest-posttest. All students with ADHD disorder aged 7 to 12 years were included in the statistical population. The sample comprised 30 kids who were age-matched and randomly split into two groups. They were tested for two months in February and March 2021. Slow cognitive rehabilitation training was given to the experimental group. Both groups were given a pretest and a posttest. Information was gathered using the BRIEF (parent form) and Conners’ (parent form) questionnaires. MANCOVA was used to analyze the data, using the SPSS software v. 26, with a significance threshold of 0.05.

There was a significant difference in executive function variables (inhibition, attention transfer, emotional control, initiation, working memory, planning, material organization, and control) and reduced impulsivity (attention deficit , hyperactivity, opposition, and ADHD) (P≤0.001).

Cognitive rehabilitation improves executive skills and impulsivity in children with ADHD aged 7-12 years. Cognitive rehabilitation training should be utilized with other educational approaches to rectify social behaviors, minimize conflict, and improve executive functions.