Sensory Integrative Intervention: Outcomes of Motor, Cognitive and Social Skills among Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorde

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders have widely prevailed among children which affects children`s cognitive, motor, and social activities. Sensory integrative intervention is a therapeutic approach focused on empowering sensory processing among children with sensory disorders by engaging them with interesting and attractive activities. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the sensory integrative intervention on motor, cognitive, and social skills among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Research design: A quasi-experimental design was utilized. Subjects: The purposive sample included 60 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders accompanied by their parents according to specific inclusion criteria. Setting: Outpatient Clinics for Children and Adolescents in Abbasia Hospital for Mental Health affiliated to the General Secretariat for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, Cairo Egypt. Tools: 1) a structured interview questionnaire containing three parts a) demographic data of the child, b) demographic data of the parent, and c) Parents’ Knowledge about Sensory Integration; 2) The Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale Parent Form; 3) Sensory Processing Measure. Results: Data analysis presented statistically significant differences before, after, and follow-up of the implementation of sensory integrative intervention regarding parents’ knowledge scores (f-test= 4.19 at p ‹ 0.001), functional impairment domains family, school, life skills, social activities, and risky activities (t test= 3.22, 7.69, 2.14, 3.89, 2.98, and 4.78 respectively with P value ≤ 0.05). Also, statistically significant differences were found in sensory process measure domains of social participation, body awareness, balance and motion, and planning and idea mean (f=21.94, 19.69, 9.93, & 22.89 respectively with p‹ 0.05). Conclusion: The sensory integrative intervention had a positive effect on enhancing motor, cognitive, and social skills among children with ADHD through improvements in the scores of functional impairments and sensory processing scales. Recommendation: Repetition of the current study with other children with special needs and intellectual disabilities to evaluate the effect of sensory integrative intervention on the child’s functions.