The Effectiveness of Computerized Visual-Motor Skills Training on the Severity of Symptoms of Children with Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder

Previous research has demonstrated that computerized cognitive training can be utilized to treat the symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children; however, the effect of computerized training on visual motor abilities is unknown. Few studies on these children have been conducted. Determining the effects of computerized visual-motor skills training on the severity of symptoms in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder was the purpose of the present investigation.

The present study was an experimental one using a pre-test, post-test, and control group design. Using cluster sampling, 30 male students with the highest scores on the Conners’ teacher rating scale (1969) and the clinically structured interview criteria were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. These students attended an elementary school in the city of Mashhad during the 2019–2020 academic year. The experimental group received the intervention over the course of nine 60-minute sessions, while the control group did not. The instruments included the Conners’ teacher rating scale (CTRS;1969), organized clinical interviews, and the computer game (Rayapouya). The data were examined in the SPSS 25 software environment, utilizing univariate and multivariate covariance analysis.

After controlling for pre-test scores, multivariate covariance analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the mean post-test scores of the two experimental and control groups for the variable of symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adjusted mean from 0.73 to 29.33) (P<0.01).

Computerized visual-motor skills training (Rayapoya) is a promising learning technique that has been shown to alleviate symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, it can be utilized as an alternative or supplement to the conventional treatments for this disorder.