Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of filial therapy and shared cognitive computer games with parents on increasing the executive functions of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Method: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population was all children aged 4 to 7 years with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and their mothers who were admitted to Dr. Faraji's Neurology and Psychiatry Clinic in Mashhad. The sample was 45 children with their mothers who were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups of 5 people, including two experimental groups and a control group. The research instruments included the Connors Hyperactivity Disorder Scale (CPRS-26), the Gerard et al. Executive Function Questionnaire (BEFQ), and a clinical interview. Each of the experimental groups was divided into 8 90-minute sessions, child therapy, and cognitive computer games, and the control group did not receive any training. The data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Bonferroni post hoc test.
Results: The results indicated the effectiveness of both filial therapy and cognitive computer games on executive functions (P<0.001). There was also a significant difference between these two methods, and the effectiveness of filial therapy was greater than that of cognitive computer games both in the post-test and in the follow-up period (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results of this study show that these two methods can be used to increase the executive functions of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.