Effectiveness of a Training for Children With Combined Reading/Spelling and Attention Problems

• In Event: 2-103 - Comorbidity in Specific Developmental Disorders: Examining Prevalence Rates, Cognitive Causes, and Implications for Treatment

Integrative Statement

Despite the high comorbidity rate between reading and spelling disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), there are no specific intervention programs for children with these special needs. Children with problems in reading and writing usually receive learning therapy by a certified learning therapist and children with ADHD usually receive cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy by a psychotherapist. Due to a lack of combined intervention programs, children with comorbid disorders and their families suffer from very time-consuming and exhausting treatments. For those reasons, a combined training is needed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly designed training program concentrating on the improvement of self-regulation, reading and spelling in children. The training program consists of ten weekly sessions in small groups of children where they practice how to manage learning situations (reading and spelling) in a planned and structured way. It also includes exercises to encourage the children’s academic self-concept and coping strategies. Moreover, the parents took part in four meetings where they talked about their experiences with their children and learned about effective educational strategies. Specially educated student trainers with support and supervision of a psychotherapist conducted the sessions.
The analyses included the data of 21 second and third grade children and their parents who participated in the training and also acted as a waiting-control-group before the training started. The reading and spelling abilities and the ADHD-symptoms were measured three times (before the waiting-time, before and after the training program). To measure the amount of inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity a standardized external rating test that is based on the international classification system of diseases (ICD-10) was used. Reading and spelling abilities were measured by two standardized school achievement tests (Wurzburg’s silent reading probe and basic diagnostics for primary school children’s subtest spelling). Furthermore, the children’s use of strategies in school and learning situations and their difficulties in reading and writing were rated on a newly designed questionnaire by the parents. In addition, the children reported their academic self-concept. Finally, the participating parents and children were questioned about their satisfaction with the training program.
In general, the participants reported a high rate of satisfaction. Particularly, the training program had positive impacts on the children’s attention and helped them to solve learning tasks in a more systematic and structured way. Furthermore, the parents reported that they had observed reduced spelling difficulties. Paradoxically, the reading performance did increase significantly over time and not only during the time of training program. Taken together, the results reveal substantial benefit for the participating parents and children and therefore emphasize the necessity and the use of such a combined intervention. Future studies should examine possible long-term maintenance of the behavioral changes and transfer to learning outcomes.

Authors

• Julia Koenigs, University of Hildesheim
  Presenting Author

• Kirsten Schuchardt, University of Hildesheim
  Non-Presenting Author

• Claudia Maehler, University of Hildesheim
  Non-Presenting Author