ADHD at preschool: An Intervention Program

Introduction and objectives Diagnosis and then treatment of ADHD usually take place at school age, when complications such as school failure or social exclusion may render it more resistant to psychological treatment. For this reason there is advantage in early diagnosis and early psychological intervention in preschool years (Sonuga-Barke, 2001). We present our preliminary findings from a research project aimed at development of assessment and interventions tools for kindergarten children. Method Children with ADHD characteristics were selected by teachers on the basis of a teacher rating scale (IPDDAI, Re, & Cornoldi, 2009), designed for early identification of children at risk for ADHD. Control group was also formed, matched for age, schooling, gender and socio-cultural level. Half of the children of the two groups participated in a 12-week programme (24 one-hour intervention units twice-weekly) designed to promote development of self-regulated strategies. Half of the children formed the control groups performing school activities proposed by their teachers. Results A general improvement was found after the programme for all children, but this change was more marked in children with ADHD characteristics who participated in the intervention, who showed improvement both in a neuropsychological task and in the rating scale. Discussion The preliminary results of our study are encouraging: although diagnosis of ADHD is difficult in the pre-school years, early identification and intervention appear to be very beneficial for such children. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that by working on some cognitive aspects, it is possible to influence a child’s everyday behaviour.