COMPUTERIZED COGNITIVE TRAINING FOR SEVERELY EMOTIONALLY-DISTURBED CHILDREN WITH ADHD

An experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of Captain's Log (a computerized cognitive-training system) on the behaviors and pe rformance capabilities of 4 severely emotionally disturbed children wi th Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), ages 7 to 11. Beha vioral scales, spectral electroencephalograms, and intelligence and pe rformance tests were assessed pre and posttreatment. A behavioral poin t system and monitoring of progress on computer tasks were used throug hout treatment to evaluate ongoing improvements. There were 64 trainin g sessions administered over a 16-week period. Outcome of treatment wa s determined by computer advancement, changes in behavioral points, an d pre- and postmeasures. Results support the expectation that children who were most successful in the training would demonstrate the highes t levels of generalization of those skills that were the focus of trea tment.