Improving kindergarten readiness in children with developmental disabilities: Changes in neural correlates of response monitoring

ABSTRACT

Among children diagnosed with developmental delays, difficulties in self-regulation are prominent and have been linked to school readiness problems. The current study sought to examine the impact of the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) school readiness intervention program on self-regulation, with a specific focus on response monitoring skills, among children with developmental delays. Children (n = 20 in the KITS group and n = 21 in a services as usual group) were administered a flanker task during which event-related potential data were collected to examine group differences in response monitoring. Findings indicated that children in the KITS group showed significant enhancement of a neural index of response monitoring post-intervention. Specifically, the KITS group showed a significant change in the magnitude of their feedback-related negativity in response to negative performance feedback from baseline to post-intervention, whereas children in the services as usual group did not. There were no significant differences between the groups for the error-related negativity or the error-related positivity on incorrect trials nor were there group differences in behavioral performance on the task at the post-intervention assessment. Overall, these findings provide support for the plasticity of response monitoring skills in young children and support the growing literature demonstrating improved self-regulation outcomes via intervention that enhances children’s response monitoring.

KEYWORDS:

• ERP
• feedback
• intervention
• preschool
• response monitoring
• self-regulation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Deena Scheidt for project management and Sally Schwader for editorial assistance. We would also like to thank all of the children and families who participated in the KITS Program. Katherine Pears and Philip Fisher are co-developers of the KITS Program.