The Effectiveness of Group-Based Sensory Integration Intervention on Attention, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity of Elementary Students with ADHD

Introduction: Group interventions are increasingly used in clinical situations and a strategy to save time and energy in providing clinical services. One of the interventions that can be used group is sensory integration therapy. Sensory integration interventions are used to solve the problems of integration and sensory processing.  Children with attention deficit hyperactivity experience sensory integration and processing difficulties. Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder is a behavioral disorder that effects negatively on the social and academic performance of children. Since sensory integration problems in these children is clear and effective approaches, such as sensory integration therapy is available. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group sensory integration intervention on attentions deficit-hyperactivity disorder elementary school students in Hamadan with family focus.

Method: This was a quasi-experimental study. The participants in this study included 39 children 6-12 year old with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder who were randomly selected from the schools of Hamadan and were divided to two groups of 24 females (10 people as control group, 14 people as experimental group) and 15 males (6 people as control group, 9 people as experimental group). Three times a week experimental groups and over 10 one-hour sessions received in the presence of parents the sensory integration intervention. Attention deficit-hyperactivity symptoms in both groups were assessed using children disease symptoms questionnaire.

Results: Analysis of data using analysis of variance showed that sensory integration had a significant impact on the hyperactivity, attention deficit and impulsivity of testers in the experimental group. In addition, gender and intervention interaction and gender had no significant impact.

Conclusion: Overall, group sensory integration intervention had impact significantly on attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity of sample.