The effect of group therapy for Japanese university students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Introduction:Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is known to be associated with cognitive dysfunctioning, involving in particular working memory. This impairment has an impact on academic difficulties and it is one of the treatment targets. Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) attempts to improve cognitive deficits by teaching information processing strategies through guided mental exercises. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate whether CRT, a new psychological treatment, improves working memory ad school performance in children with autism spectrum disorder.Methods:Children meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for ASD, and following a regular school curriculum were recruited from clinical population at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department in Razi University Hospital u2013 Manouba - Tunisia. The intervention was individual CRT, delivered over a period of six months with one 45-minute session per week. Working memory was assessed using forward and backward digit span. School performance was assessed by school results.Results:Of the 25 patients included, 16 achieved assessments tests after CRT, thus constituting our final sample. Their average age was 10.87 years. The mean number of sessions performed was 22.38. After completion of CRT, patients showed significant improvement (p=0.001) on forward digit span which score was 3.38 before CRT and 4 after completion of the program. Concerning backward digit-span, the mean score increased from 2.21 before CRT to 3.09 after it. This improvement was significant (p=0.006). As for clinical symptoms, lower scores (26.81) were found after CRT in comparison with baseline mean scores (27.87). This improvement was also significant (p=0.001). As for school results, the mean score increased 10.57/20 before CRT to 11.08/20 after it, showing a statistically significant positive correlation (p=0.001).Conclusion: The cognitive remediation Therapy is a promising technique that seems to be effective in the management of children with autism spectrum disorder.