Assessment of a cognitive training program for hyperactive children

Abstract

Modeling, self-verbalization, and self-reinforcement techniques were used to train hyperactive children in more effective and less impulsive strategies for approaching cognitive tasks, academic problems, and social situations. Eighteen hyperactive children took part in the training program. The control group, which received no training, consisted of 11 children, matched with the experimental group on age, IQ, and measures of hyperactivity and impulsivity. Several tests and measures, some of which have been shown to differentiate between hyperactive and normal children, were administered prior to training at the end of the 3-month training period, and after a further 3-month period in which no training took place. The trained group showed significantly greater improvement on several of the measures, both at the time of posttesting and on the follow-up evaluation.

Pills or Skills for Hyperactive Children

“…There is suggestive evidence that hyperactive children's achievement is significantly improved as a result of self-instructional training (Douglas et al, 1976). In a 3-month self-control program supplemented with direct instruction and contingency management, the treated children showed significantly greater gains on laboratory and achievement tests than untreated controls.…”

“…Furthermore, psychostimulant treatment has physical side effects such as increased heart and blood pressure rates and, in some instances-though clearly not all -it appears that growth rates have been suppressed (Roche, Lipman, Overall, & Hung, in press;Safer, Allen, & Barr, 1972;Weiss et al, 1975 Behavior therapy has shown salutary changes on both academic and social behavior in studies of 1 to 4 months, but no long-term treatment studies have been conducted with hyperactive children. However, based on the longterm treatment research with conduct problem children (Kent & O'Leary, 1976), the successful transfer of hyperactive children from pharmacological to behavioral treatment (S. G. O'Leary & Pelham, 1978), the academic gains with hyperactive children in behavioral programs (Ayllon et al, 1975;Douglas et al, 1976), there is ample reason to be optimistic about the viability of a behavioral approach. This optimism must be tempered by the fact that Kent and O'Leary did not work with children specifically diagnosed as hyperactive, although as noted earlier, the overlap between hyperactivity and conduct problems/aggression is very great.…”

Self‐control: Teaching Tolerance for Delay in Impulsive Children

“…Although initial success was reported, researchers (e.g., Abikoff, 1985;Abikoff & Gittelman, 1985;Barkley, 1981) increasingly have been encountering difficulties with these training packages. The methods have failed to remedy consistently problems with academic skills and deportment, as promised by early reports (Douglas, Parry, Marton, & Garson, 1976). Additionally, the effectiveness of the programs appeared to cease after intervention was discontinued, with generalization not extending beyond the training situation.…”

Listening Skills: Teaching Learning Disabled Students to Be Better Listeners

“…Cognitive and task approach strategies seem appropriate for a number of reasons. First, these intervention techniques appear to promote generalization of strategies learned to other similar situations (Cosgrove & Patterson, 1978;Douglas, Parry, Marton, & Garson, 1976;Keogh & Barkett, 1979). Uncontrolled messages require situation-specific task performance by the listener.…”

“…A number of recent studies exploring attentional deficits of the learning disabled found that modeling, self-instruction, and reinforcement, in combination, increased attention in the learner (Camp, Blom, Herbert, & vanDoorninck, 1977;Douglas et al, 1976;Meichenbaum & Goodman, 1971 ). As an example of such an instructional strategy, the teacher might first provide a verbal model: "Okay, I'm getting ready to listen.…”