The influence of metacognitive training on the improvement of working memory in children with ADHD

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of the study is to check whether the memory will be strengthened after three months of metacognitive training using such mnemonic techniques as Mind Maps and Sketchnoting in children diagnosed with ADHD. According to the most recent, the Fifth Edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, working memory plays a key role both in the symptoms of ADHD and in secondary problems such as: learning disorders, professional or social difficulties. Method: 45 schoolchildren took part in the experimental study (M=1,42; SD = 10,41;). .Each child had a diagnosed psychomotor overexcitability and attention disorders. The participants were randomly qualified into three groups: the first group was tested for the effect of Mind Maps; the second group, for the effect of Sketchnoting while the third group was assigned the role of a control group. All of the groups were administered The Deferred Naming Test before and after the training. This assessment method belongs to the PU-1 Set of Diagnostic Tests. Results: The working memory improved in each of the three groups. The smallest number of errors were made by the children in the group with Mind Maps, while the biggest number of errors were made by the children in the control group. Conclusion: Mind Maps can be an important complement to other forms of therapeutic treatment for children with ADHD diagnosis. Regular use of this tool in education or therapy strengthens the memory. The improvement of this executive function can be substantial in learning to write and read (memorization of the correct shapes of letters), remembering and recalling from memory the rules agreed with the child or better time orientation.