Reducing ADHD by Promoting Social Collaboration and Self-Regulation Skills

描述(由申请人提供)：项目摘要：在学龄前阶段，社会功能受损是许多神经发育障碍的共同特征。尽管大多数学龄前儿童正在形成最初的友谊，并从平行的戏剧游戏发展到复杂而协调的戏剧游戏，但患有神经发育障碍的儿童往往缺乏有效社会合作所需的抑制控制、注意力集中、情绪调节和移情社会反应。学龄前社交障碍预示着在以后的学习、同伴关系和社会情绪功能方面会有很大的困难，这使得早期的预防性干预成为优先事项。最近的三项研究表明，旨在加强学龄前儿童社会情绪学习和自我调节技能的课堂干预可以改善社会协作技能，同时在其发展过程中加强神经认知执行功能(Bierman，Nix，Greenberg，Domitrovich&Blair，出版社；Diamond，Barnett，Thomas&Munro，2007；Riggs，Greenberg，Kusche&Pentz，2006)。如果这些干预技术在学龄前阶段以一种为技能发展提供广泛支持的密集形式提供，那么在预防或减少患有神经认知障碍的儿童所经历的困难方面可能有很大的希望。基于社会认知神经科学发展模型，这项拟议的研究将开发和完善一种称为模式化和有意游戏序列[PIPS]教练的干预措施。这一新的干预措施将利用围绕发展性组织的活动和游戏构建的小组社交体验，以诱导和支持日益复杂的社会协作，并通过治疗师的“指导”来支持社会反应和自我调节技能。我们将在一项严格的、随机对照的第一阶段临床试验中评估这种干预的效果，该临床试验涉及128名4岁的新出现的ADHD儿童。多方法措施(包括直接的儿童评估、观察以及教师和家长评分)将评估干预对近端结果(学龄前社会能力、EF技能、学习投入)和远端结果(幼儿园学校适应和ADHD症状的减少)的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project Summary Impaired social functioning during the preschool years is common feature of many of the neurodevelopmental disorders. Whereas most preschool children are forming first friendships and progressing from parallel to complex and coordinated dramatic play, children with neurodevelopmental disorders often lack the inhibitory control, attention focus, emotion regulation, and empathic social responsiveness needed for effective social collaboration. Preschool social impairment predicts significant difficulties in later learning, peer relations, and social-emotional functioning, making early, preventive intervention a priority. Three recent studies have demonstrated that classroom-level interventions designed to enhance the social-emotional learning and self- regulation skills of preschool children can improve social collaboration skills and, concurrently, strengthen neurocognitive executive functioning as it develops (Bierman, Nix, Greenberg, Domitrovich & Blair, in press; Diamond, Barnett, Thomas & Munro, 2007; Riggs, Greenberg, Kusche & Pentz, 2006). These intervention techniques may hold considerable promise for preventing or reducing the difficulties experienced by children with neurocognitive disorders, if delivered during the preschool years in an intensive format that provides extensive support for skill development. Based upon a social-cognitive neuroscience developmental model, the proposed study will develop and refine an intervention called Patterned and Intentional Play Sequence [PIPS] Coaching. This new intervention will utilize small group social experiences, structured around activities and games that are organized developmentally to elicit and support increasingly complex social collaboration, with therapist "coaching" to support social responsively and self-regulation skills. We will evaluate the efficacy of this intervention in a rigorous, randomized-controlled, phase 1 clinical trial involving 128 4-year-old children with emerging ADHD. Multi-method measures (including direct child assessments, observations, and teacher and parent ratings) will assess intervention impact on proximal outcomes (preschool social competencies, EF skills, learning engagement) and on distal outcomes (kindergarten school adjustment and reduced ADHD symptomatology).