Effectiveness of Using Praise as an Intervention to Improve On-task Behaviorof Preschoolers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of using praise as an intervention to improve on-task behavior of preschoolers with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity/Disorder (AD HD).

Participants of the study were five children (3 males and 2 females) ; two of them diagnosed with AD HD, and three of them were identified by their teachers as at risk of having AD HD. All participants were enrolled in a regular class at King Saud University kindergarten in Riyadh.

The study was conducted in classroom setting the setting is a teacher-directed activity in which the teacher teach children some tasks. Two designs of Single Subject Designs (SSD) used in this study. The designs used are: A-B-A-B Withdrawal Design, and Multiple Baseline Designs across Participants. The researcher provideteachers with a workshop on praise strategy. Then she asked them to use the strategy, and assist them with children praise when needed. Data were collected by the researcher and two researcher assistants using direct observation.

Behaviors were observed in the teacher-directed activity setting throughout several phases: baseline, implementation of the intervention, withdrawal of the intervention, reimplementation of the intervention, and follow-up; while in the open activity setting behaviors were observed in two phases: baseline and implementation of the intervention.Results of the study showed that there is a positive functional relationship between using praise and on-task behavior of preschoolers with AD HD.