The Effectiveness of a Virtual Reality-Based Training Program for Improving Body Awareness in Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that a structured Virtual Reality-based training program significantly improves body awareness in young children with ADHD, with effects lasting at least one month post-intervention.

Contribution

It introduces a novel VR intervention tailored for early childhood ADHD to enhance body awareness and motor skills, showing sustained benefits.

Findings

Significant improvement in spatial awareness and body part identification.

Efficacy of VR training maintained at one-month follow-up.

VR provides a safe, engaging therapeutic environment for children with ADHD.

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of a Virtual Reality (VR)-based training program in improving body awareness among children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the research sample consisted of 10 children aged 4 to 7 years, with IQ scores ranging from 90 to 110. Participants were divided into an experimental group and a control group, with the experimental group receiving a structured VR intervention over three months, totaling 36 sessions. Assessment tools included the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (5th Edition), the Conners Test for ADHD, and a researcher-prepared Body Awareness Scale. The results indicated statistically significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores for the experimental group, demonstrating the program's efficacy in enhancing spatial awareness, body part identification, and motor expressions. Furthermore, follow-up assessments conducted one month after the intervention revealed no significant differences from the post-test results, confirming the sustainability and continuity of the program's effects over time. The findings suggest that immersive VR environments provide a safe, engaging, and effective therapeutic medium for addressing psychomotor deficits in early childhood ADHD.