PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of an abbreviated version of an established cognitive remediation programme for children with neurological disorders and attention problems in an outpatient setting. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Eighteen 6-15-year-old children diagnosed with neurological and attention difficulties completed a six-module training programme aimed at improving attention. This programme was a shorter version of the Cognitive Remediation Programme (CRP), which has been successfully implemented with children with neurocognitive deficits. Parents completed measures of their children's attention and children completed neuropsychological measures of attention. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The programme was associated with improvement in several aspects of parent-reported attention and children's performance on tasks measuring attention. CONCLUSIONS: The shortened version of the CRP shows promise as a brief treatment for attention problems in outpatient neurological populations. Future research should assess programme effectiveness using a control group, longer-term follow-up and teacher reports.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of an abbreviated version of an established cognitive remediation programme for children with neurological disorders and attention problems in an outpatient setting. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Eighteen 6-15-year-old children diagnosed with neurological and attention difficulties completed a six-module training programme aimed at improving attention. This programme was a shorter version of the Cognitive Remediation Programme (CRP), which has been successfully implemented with children with neurocognitive deficits. Parents completed measures of their children's attention and children completed neuropsychological measures of attention. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The programme was associated with improvement in several aspects of parent-reported attention and children's performance on tasks measuring attention. CONCLUSIONS: The shortened version of the CRP shows promise as a brief treatment for attention problems in outpatient neurological populations. Future research should assess programme effectiveness using a control group, longer-term follow-up and teacher reports.