Effectiveness of training in improving attention and working memory on continuous performance in ADHD children

ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a developmental disorder that has been attracting the attention of psychologists and psychiatrists for a long time. The purpose of this research was to study the effectiveness of training in improving attention and working memory on continuous performance in ADHD children. This was a semi-expremental study performed on 44 ADHD children referred to psychiatric clinics in Babol city. They were equally divided into the experimental and the control groups. The performance of the members belonging to both groups was assessed using the continuous performance test in the pretest stage. Each member of the experimental group was then individually trained for 20 half-hour sessions (three half-hour sessions per week for a period of seven weeks) using attention and working memory improvement software. After the training period, post-test was conducted on members of both groups using the mentioned software. Results of ANCOVA indicated that despite increased continuous performance in both the experimental and the control groups in the post-test stage, the increased continuous performance in the experimental group was greater compared to the control group. Therefore, training in improving attention and working memory was effective in increasing continuous performance in ADHA children. Training in improving attention and working memory, and similar trainings, can be considered as complementary treatment method, or a substitute method for medicines.