Application of a Training Program for Executive Functions in a Sample of Egyptian Children With Learning Disorder
Condition: Learning Disorders; Executive Dysfunction
MeSH terms: Learning Disabilities
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In recent years, significant progress has been made on ways to improve Executive Functions
      (EF) skills for school readiness involving direct EF training and classroom educational
      programs. Due to the absence of a well-structured Arabic program for EF training in children,
      the rationale of this study is to implement a comprehensive, evidence-based intervention
      program to help Egyptian children with learning disorders to overcome their EF impairment. It
      uses the multimodality approach to help meet the needs of students with a variety of learning
      styles. The aim of this study is to adapt the combined form of the "Executive Functions
      Training-Elementary", and the "Promoting Executive Function In The Classroom" programs and
      its application in order to test its effectiveness in the rehabilitation of Egyptian learning
      disordered children.
    

Detailed description: 
      The study was conducted on 40 children with dyslexia and Executive dysfunction attending unit
      of phoniatrics, Otorhinolaryngology department, Alexandria University. The results were
      compared before and after intervention.

      The "Executive Functions Training-Elementary" program is an evidence-based practice that
      targets Executive function skills in the early elementary years by training students how to
      plan, execute, complete, and monitor tasks. It develops cognitive abilities and behavior
      control with classroom-related activities for varying ability levels.

      The "Promoting Executive Function In The Classroom" program helps to incorporate Executive
      function processes (such as planning, organization, prioritizing, and self-checking) into the
      classroom curriculum. Chapters provide effective strategies for learning by improving how to
      learn.

      Data were collected and entered to the computer using (Statistical Package for Social
      Science) program for statistical analysis (version 21).

      Data were entered as numerical or categorical, as appropriate. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of
      normality revealed no significance in the distribution of the variables, so the parametric
      statistics was adopted.

      Data were described using minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation and 95% Confidence
      Interval of the mean.

      Categorical variables were described using frequency and percentage. Comparisons were carried
      out between two studied dependent normally distributed variables using paired t-test.

      Comparisons were carried out between more than two independent normally distributed subgroups
      using one-way Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) test. When F ratio of ANOVA was significant Levene
      test of homogeneity of variances was done, and if significant Brown-Forsythe Robust test was
      adopted. Post-hoc multiple comparisons was done using Games-Howell.
    

Intervention name(s): Executive functions training-elementary and Promoting executive function in in the classroom
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): evidence based practice that target executive function skills in early elementary years.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: the study was carried on a single group underwent initial assessment then intervention then final assessment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Executive Functions; learning disorder; children