Feasibility and Efficacy of the Alert Program® for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

This study explored the feasibility and initial efficacy of a sensorimotor intervention to improve symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Twenty-seven children (ages 8–12 years) with ADHD and their parents participated in an 8-week group intervention based on The Alert Program® for Self-Regulation (AP). Families were taught to recognize child arousal states and to use sensorimotor strategies to manage levels of alertness. Parent and teacher reports of child attention symptoms were collected at baseline, before and after intervention. Objective ratings of child problem behaviours and use of sensorimotor strategies during computerized tasks of visual and auditory attention were also coded before and after intervention. Parents and children endorsed high acceptability and satisfaction for the AP treatment. Parental ratings indicated increased knowledge and use of sensorimotor strategies, and decreased child ADHD symptoms at home from pre-AP to post-AP. However, no significant changes in child outcomes were reported by teachers. Unexpectedly, observed child problem behaviours during the visual attention task increased from pre-AP to post-AP. The AP was received positively by parents and children with improvements in regulation strategies and child attention at home, but more work needs to be done to generalize the effects to school and other peer settings.