Pilot Study of an Attention and Executive Function Cognitive Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Macoun, Sarah J.; Schneider, Isabel; Bedir, Buse; Sheehan, John C.; Sung, Andrew

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04723-w

Cited by 41 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 77 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…A total of four studies used a sample size greater than 50 subjects [68,90,93,94]; 50% of the studies reported participants who terminated the intervention before the hypothesized end [67,68,85,86,92,[95][96][97][98][99][100] with drop-out percentages ranging from 5,5% [86] to 45,8% [96]. Data lost during the study were in some cases analyzed by applying the principle of Intention To Treat (ITT) that resulted in a percentage of data lost ranging from 6% [94] to 26% [68].…”

Section: Participant Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Cognitive Training Programs on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background. Autism Spectrum Disorder is often associated with deficits in executive functions (EFs), which is contributing significantly to individuals with ASD’s difficulties in conducting an independent life, particularly considering social skills. Technologies offer promising opportunities to structure EF intervention programs for children on the autistic spectrum. Methods. This study aimed to review the effectiveness of randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies of EF interventions delivered to children and young people (up to 23 years old) with a diagnosis of ASD. A special focus was dedicated to document the effectiveness of computerized and non-computerized cognitive training on (1) EFs and on (2) ASD symptomatology and social skills. Of 2601 studies retrieved, 19 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results. Most of the interventions identified were effective in enhancing EFs and reducing symptoms in children and young people with ASD. Limited evidence is available on their generalization to untrained skills (i.e., social abilities) as well as long-term effects. Conclusions. There is growing evidence for overall effectiveness of EF training, particularly when computerized. However, caution should be taken when interpreting these findings owing to methodological limitations, the minimal number of papers retrieved, and a small samples of included studies.

show abstract

Section: Participant Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Cognitive Training Programs on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Following 12 hours of training in this model, participants demonstrated preliminary improvements in academic measure (math fluency) and anecdotal reports from parents and teachers in attention, engagement, organization, flexibility, and working memory. This study provides preliminary support for the use of a "serious-game" model with interventionalist support to improve attentional and academic measures for children with ASD (159).…”

Section: Novel Targets For Interventionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Implications of Sensory Processing and Attentional Differences Associated With Autism in Academic Settings: An Integrative Review

Mallory

Keehn

2021

Front. Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The impact of classroom environments on student engagement and academic performance is well-documented. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical sensory processing and attentional impairments, which may lead to challenges in successfully accessing educational material within these settings. These symptoms may help explain why students with ASD show discrepancies between intellectual ability and academic performance. Given the increasing number of students with ASD present in classrooms, understanding strengths and weaknesses in sensory processing and attention is necessary in order to design better classroom environments and develop more efficacious accommodations and interventions to support optimal student success. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to provide a brief review of the current literature on sensory processing and attention in ASD, survey how sensory and attentional functions affect academic outcomes in both neurotypical and ASD learners, and suggest potential accommodations/interventions for students with ASD based on these findings.

show abstract

“…One of the motivations for examining recreational videogame use in relation to attention skills is motivated by the use of ‘serious-games’ for cognitive rehabilitation. This is an active, though sometimes controversial [ 44 ], area of research, and recent preliminary work has shown positive effects of cognitive videogame training on visual working memory and selective attention in young children (6–12 years) with Autism Spectrum Disorder [ 45 ]. Furthermore, various studies [ 46 ] have illustrated the benefits in using videogames to improve symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ 46 , 47 ] and to improve reading abilities and attentional skills in children with dyslexia [ 48 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Videogame exposure positively associates with selective attention in a cross-sectional sample of young children

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is growing interest in how exposure to videogames is associated with young children’s development. While videogames may displace time from developmentally important activities and have been related to lower reading skills, work in older children and adolescents has suggested that experience with attention-demanding/fast-reaction games positively associates with attention and visuomotor skills. In the current study, we assessed 154 children aged 4–7 years (77 male; mean age 5.38) whose parents reported average daily weekday recreational videogame time, including information about which videogames were played. We investigated associations between videogame exposure and children’s sustained, selective, and executive attention skills. We found that videogame time was significantly positively associated only with selective attention. Longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the directional association between time spent playing recreational videogames and attention skills.

show abstract

Pilot Study of an Attention and Executive Function Cognitive Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Cited by 41 publications

References 77 publications

Effects of Cognitive Training Programs on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Effects of Cognitive Training Programs on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Implications of Sensory Processing and Attentional Differences Associated With Autism in Academic Settings: An Integrative Review

Videogame exposure positively associates with selective attention in a cross-sectional sample of young children

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About