Abstract
Attentional, visuospatial, and social cognition deficits have a negative impact on children’s adaptative and social competences and, as a result, on their ability to achieve a normal functioning and behavior. Until now and despite the frequency of those deficits, there is a lack of children’s specific cognitive remediation tools specifically dedicated to attentional and visuospatial areas. The «Cognitus & Moi» program involves a variety of exercises in a paper and/or pencil (n = 30) or a computerized format (n = 29) and a strategy coaching approach. Each module of «Cognitus & Moi» targets a single impaired cognitive area, within the limits of cognitive domains’ overlapping. The little cartoon character named Cognitus, who illustrates the program, is supposed to be very friendly and kind toward children. Cognitus will accompany them throughout the program for an effective and positive reinforcement. The main goal of «Cognitus & Moi» is to adjust to children’s difficulties in daily life. Moreover, since the cognitive remediation benefit is complex to apply in daily life, the program is based on a metacognitive strategy. After a complete neuropsychological assessment and a psychoeducational session (with the child and the parents), 16 1-h-sessions of cognitive remediation with the therapist are proposed. Each session is composed of three parts: (1) computerized tasks focusing on specific attentional or visuospatial components (20 min). The attentional module targets hearing, visual, and divided attention. A double attention task is also proposed. The visuospatial module targets eye tracking and gaze direction, spatial orientation, visuospatial memory and construction, and mental imagery; (2) pen and paper tasks focusing on the same processes (20 min) and a facial emotion recognition task; (3) a proposal of a home-based task (during 20 min). Weekly, specific attentional and visuospatial home tasks are proposed to the child and analyzed with the parents and the therapist. Indeed, home exercises are useful to promote the transfer of strategies to daily life and their subsequent automation. The heterogeneity of cognitive deficits in intellectual deficiency necessitates an individualized cognitive remediation therapy. In this regard, «Cognitus & Moi» seems to be a promising tool.
Highlights
Reviewed by: Laurent Lecardeur, CHU de Caen, France Caroline Vandeleur, Lausanne University Hospital, Specialty section: This article was submitted to Public
Since the cognitive remediation benefit is complex to apply in daily life, the program is based on a metacognitive strategy
Since cognitive functions other than language [14, 15] and psychomotor abilities are impaired in children, as well as adults, it seems interesting to consider the development of specific cognitive remediation programs
Summary
Reviewed by: Laurent Lecardeur, CHU de Caen, France Caroline Vandeleur, Lausanne University Hospital, Specialty section: This article was submitted to Public. The heterogeneity of cognitive deficits in intellectual deficiency necessitates an individualized cognitive remediation therapy In this regard, «Cognitus & Moi» seems to be a promising tool. Attentional [2], memory [3], visuospatial [4], and executive [5,6,7] alterations are found All these can be associated with an impairment of adaptive functioning. Speech therapy and psychomotor care are well-developed for children with intellectual disability [13] These techniques mainly help these people develop their communication and motor skills. Since cognitive functions other than language [14, 15] and psychomotor abilities are impaired in children, as well as adults, it seems interesting to consider the development of specific cognitive remediation programs
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