Psychiatry Research EG

Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children, affecting about 3–5% of children globally. Cognitive–behavioral therapy interventions have been increasingly applied to remediate self-control and behavioral problems in children. This study aimed to implement a remediation program for behavioral manifestations of children with ADHD. Patients and methods A quasi-experimental study was carried out on second-grade kindergarten children in Assiut city. The participants included 518 children (mean age 5.34 years) screened for ADHD. Thirty-two children who were diagnosed with ADHD received a cognitive– behavioral remediation program and were followed up for its effectiveness to modify ADHD manifestations. Children were evaluated with the Children’s Attention and Adjustment Survey School form, the Children’s Attention and Adjustment Survey House Form, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children, which were used in the preimplementation phase and after the remediation program. Diagnosis was based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Results The study revealed that the prevalence of ADHD was 6.18% and the male to female ratio was 2 : 1. Follow-up showed statistically significant improvement in children with ADHD after the implementation of the cognitive–behavioral remediation program (Pr0.000). Conclusion and recommendation This cognitive–behavioral program is effective in the modification of ADHD manifestations. A larger sample size is needed to strengthen the effectiveness of the program. Keywords: attention deficit hyperactivity, cognitive–behavioral remediation, kindergartens, Wechsler Intelligence Scale