Remediation of attention deficits in children: a focus on childhood cancer, traumatic brain injury and attention deficit disorder

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to examine the status of attention training in children. This body of literature is very small so the review examines available efficacy studies in three paediatric groups: children who have survived cancer affecting the central nervous system (CNS) or whose treatment has impacted the CNS, children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and children with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Seven studies/case reports are reviewed. The results are encouraging, with six of seven describing some improvement on attention measures. An original case study is presented using Pay Attention! materials with a 6 year old survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). This represents only the third report of the use of attention training materials with a survivor of childhood cancer and the first case report of the use of these materials with a very young child (6 years of age).

• Pay attention
• attention retraining
• cognitive rehabilitation
• childhood cancer
• traumatic brain injury
• attention deficit disorder