Effects of Playtraining in ADHD Preschoolers on ADHD Symptoms and Play Persistence and Intensity

Randomized Controlled Trial to Evalualte Effects of Playtraining as Manualized in THOP, a Modulized German ADHD Manual, in 3 to 6 Year Old Children With a Diagnosis of ADHD on ADHD Symptoms and Play Persistence and Intensity

Status

UNKNOWN

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01795053

Enrollment

Registered

2013-02-20

Start date

2012-02-29

Completion date

2017-10-31

Last updated

2017-03-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

ADHD

Keywords

ADHD preschoolers, playtraining, child-focused intervention

Brief summary

A sample of 60 children is randomly assigned to an intervention and a control condition. The intervention group receives 15 sessions of child-focused treatment with play training to enhance play persistence and intensity. The control group receives the same amount of placebo play sessions. The intervention group receives subsequently 15 sessions of parent training. All children are 3 to 6 years old and meet diagnostic criteria for ADD or ADHD. Main hypothesis are a stronger reduction of ADHD symptoms of the child in different settings in the intervention than in the control group. Play-persistence and -intensity should also increase more in the intervention group. An additional effect of a subsequent parent training shall furthermore be tested.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALExperimental: playtraining

playtraining is a play based intervention that includes techniques of behavioral management as: structuring of play situation, detailled play planning, definition of behavioral tasks, positive reinforcement, token economy. The intervention is designed to enhance play-persistence and -intensity and thereby reduce ADHD symptoms

BEHAVIORALPlacebo open play session

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Caregiver)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

3 Years to 6 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Diagnosis of ADHD or combinde ADHD/ ODD, age 3 to 6, 5 Items regarding play behavior on DSM-IV symptom checklist above 95th percentile, parents motivation to provide 15 to 30 weekly sessions

Exclusion criteria

Autism Spectrum Disorder, IQ below 80, massive actual impairment, that requests sudden in-patient treatment, school entry in less than 2 months

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
FBB-ADHD-V	20 minutes	Symptom checklist, rated by parents and preschool teachers. Standardized quesionnaire based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Specific form for preschoolers with norms from the year 2009

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
VBV-EL SUBSCALE play productivity and play-intensity	10 minutes	questionnaire for preschoolers VBV-EL (=parent version) VBV-ER (=preschool teacher version)focussing items that cover play behavior and restless/ hyperactive behavior

Countries

Germany

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026