Effectiveness of Cognitive-Functional (Cog-Fun) occupational therapy intervention for young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Cognitive-Functional (Cog-Fun) intervention for young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD:Nineteen children ages 5-7 yr diagnosed with ADHD were allocated to treatment and wait-list control groups. After the 12-wk intervention, the control group was crossed over to treatment. Follow-up was conducted 3 mo after treatment. Outcome measures included the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. RESULTS:Before crossover, significant differences were found between groups in change scores on the outcome measures. After crossover, no significant differences were found in treatment effects, and significant moderate to large treatment effects were found for both COPM and BRIEF scores. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up. CONCLUSION:The study supports the effectiveness of the Cog-Fun intervention in improving occupational performance and executive functions in daily life for young children with ADHD.