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

Hafez Afefe Barakat, Asmaa; Ata Abd El-Salihen, Fatma; Mohamed Khalifa, Asmaa; Mohammed Ibrahim, Fatma

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2023.321172

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

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing/Ain Shams University, Egypt

² Lecturer of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing/Ain Shams University, Egypt

10.21608/ejhc.2023.321172

Abstract

Background: 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. 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.

Keywords