Comparing ENGAGE and Triple P: Treatment programmes for hyperactive preschoolers

Enhancing Neurobehavioural Gains with the Aid of Games and Exercise (ENGAGE). This intervention involved parents and children attending a weekly 1.5hour group session for five weeks; run by a clinical psychologist with specialist training in administering ENGAGE and over 5 year experience in the area of child clinical psychology. , These sessions were followed by two weeks of individual phone calls and then a final group session in the 8th week. While attending the intervention, a group of up to five parents were together in one room where they were taught a new set of games each week, over 5 weeks, and asked to play them with their children for 30 minutes a day. The games were provided within a manual given to each parent. All of the games targeted neurocognitive areas known to be associated with self-regulation (see below for a list of all the games along with a brief description). In an adjacent room, the children were taught the same games so as to familiarize them with the games, engage them in the activities, and make it easier for parents to introduce the games to them at home. When all of the games had been taught (after the first 5 weeks), parents were encouraged to continue to play the games for the remaining 3 weeks of the intervention, increasing the complexity of the games as their child developed the skills. They then received individual phone calls once a week for two weeks (Session 6 & 7) where they were aided in further individualizing the program to their own child and any issues or questions were addressed by the clinical psychologist who had been facilitating the groups. Following this a final group session was held (session 8. This was in the form of a booster session and focused on maintenance of the program over time. While the active intervention lasted 8 weeks in total, parents were encouraged to continue to play the games once the intervention sessions had ceased. Intervention adherence was assessed via daily diaries that parents completed regarding which games they played each day and for how long. List of the games included in the ENGAGE programme. Games targeting Behavioural Self-Regulation: Musical Statues - Move around while music is playing. Freeze when the music stops Animal Speeds - Regulate the speed of your activity between small, moderate, and fast speeds Skipping - Regulate the speed at which skipping occurs Ball and Spoon Race - Hold a spoon with a ball on it and move from one place to another at varying speeds Simon Says - Repeat an action if Simon says to do “this” but do not repeat an action when Simon says do “that” Snap - Card game where if identical cards are placed down in a sequence, you place your hand on the cards and say “Snap” Hop Scotch - Aim a token for the correct number in the sequence and hop to that number Drawing Improve fine motor control through drawing Leap Frog - Remain still while other jump over you and wait until it is your turn to jump over others Games targeting Cognitive Self-Regulation Copy Me - Watch a sequence. Then repeat the sequence from memory Object Copy - Observe and structure being built. Re-create the structure from memory Ball Games - Various games that involve having to focus on the ball and catch it Puzzles - Complete puzzles Cups Memory - Remember which cups have been picked up and the token underneath removed Card Memory - Remember where the matching card is and turn over 2 matching cards to collect a pair Beading - Thread beads either from memory of a sequence or according to various changing rules Tracking Memory - Watch cups being moved around on a table and afterward identify which one has the token under it List Memory - Remember a list that is continually being added to Sorting - Sort various materials according to different rules Games targeting Emotional Self-Regulation: Relaxation - Various exercises involving tension and relaxation of muscles Deep Breathing - Learn to breathe in by filling your stomach with air (like a balloon) and then breath out slowly Yoga exercises Rhythmic drawing