Munich (netdoktor.de) – concrete if then plans can significantly improve the concentration of children with an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is the first result came psychologists from the University of Frankfurt. The research project funded by the State of Hesse will also study in addition to the ADHD basics how ADHD children can develop strategies to the self-regulation.

Project leader Prof. Caterina Gavrilov and team presented images of animals and means of transport with and without ADHD children in the context of a computer task. People should distinguish the images, they expressed a particular key at once. In one-third of the passages, perceivable by a certain stop sound, they should suppress this reaction.

To cope with the task, the children had to formulate (and always when a sound is coming, then I press certainly not on the button!”) a simple target (“I will press the button not for images with sound!”), or an if then plan.

The ADHD children could match their performance the level of the other children using the if then plan, without having their response slowed down. In addition, the error rate fell. “In further studies, we have shown the positive effects of this if then plans, was concerned, for example, the ability to resist distractions or to comply with school performance goals in the long term,” says Gavrilov.

It is estimated that about two to six percent of children in Germany of ADHD are affected. Boys suffer significantly more frequent among them as a girl. The lack of impulse control can bring many disadvantages. Because children themselves can regulate badly even in preschoolers, have worse scores, are unpopular with their peers, have less friends and are as less competent and friendly estimated by parents and teachers. (kr)