Temporal processing tele-intervention improves language, attention, and memory in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Abstract

Temporal processing is the brain's ability to process rapid successive stimuli, and children with neurodevelopmental disorders showed temporal processing deficits. Empirical evidence suggests that in-person intervention on temporal processing improves various cognitive functions of these children, and the present study aimed to study the effects of temporal processing tele-intervention (TPT) on the cognitive functions of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Ninety-five children with neurodevelopmental disorders were recruited and randomly assigned to remotely receive either TPT or conventional language remediation (CLR) in 20 parallel group-based intervention sessions once per week. Their cognitive functions were assessed before and after the intervention. The TPT group demonstrated a specific and significant improvement in working memory (p < .001). While there was an overall significant improvement in sustained attention in terms of processing speed after both types of intervention (p = .006), the positive effects of TPT might be more prominent than that of CLR given the significant pre-post difference after receiving TPT (p = .012) but not CLR (p = .21). Regarding rapid naming accuracy which had marginally significant improvement after the intervention (p = .03), the trend of improvement in TPT (p = .05) also seemed more apparent than that of CLR (p = .18). Finally, the TPT group had significant improvement in word knowledge (p < .001), rapid naming speed (p < .001), sustained attention in terms of accuracy (p < .001), and verbal learning and memory (p < .01) to an extent similar to that of the CLR group. These findings suggest that TPT can be a potential intervention for improving cognitive functions in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Clinical trial registration number: NCT05428657 at ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/).