Digital Cognitive and Physical Training for School-Age Children With ADHD: What a Randomized Controlled Trial Found

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with school-age children, particularly those who see children with attention, behavior, or executive function concerns in outpatient, school-based, or community settings.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The material is also relevant to occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and rehabilitation students who encounter children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Introductory

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course is based on a single peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial. All findings, figures, and conclusions reported in this course trace to that article.

Zhao L, Agazzi H, Du Y, Meng H, Maku R, Li K, Aspinall P, Garvan CW, Fang S. A Digital Cognitive-Physical Intervention for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2024;26:e55569. doi:10.2196/55569. PMID: 38728075. PMCID: PMC11127175.

Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Register ChiCTR2300070521.

Disclosure noted in the source

One author is employed by Recovery Plus China and another received research funding from that company. The remaining authors declared no conflicts of interest.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the population, setting, and intervention protocol used in this randomized controlled trial of a digital cognitive-physical program for children with ADHD.
2. State the direction of the trial's findings for parent-rated ADHD symptoms and for parent-rated executive function, including which areas did not show a clear difference.
3. Name the limitations the authors identified and explain what they concluded was needed before the findings can be generalized.

1. Start Here: How This Course Works
2. Podcast: Gamified Cognitive and Physical Training for Childhood ADHD (about nine minutes)
3. ADHD, Access to Care, and Why a Digital Option Was Tested
4. Inside the Trial: Participants, Randomization, and the Four-Week Protocol
5. What Changed: Parent-Rated Symptoms and Executive Function
6. Where the Evidence Stops: One Site, a Short Window, and No Sham
7. Reading the Results in a Rehabilitation Context
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course is based on a single peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial. All findings, figures, and conclusions reported in this course trace to that article.
2. Zhao L, Agazzi H, Du Y, Meng H, Maku R, Li K, Aspinall P, Garvan CW, Fang S. A Digital Cognitive-Physical Intervention for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2024;26:e55569. doi:10.2196/55569. PMID: 38728075. PMCID: PMC11127175.
3. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Register ChiCTR2300070521.
4. Disclosure noted in the source
5. One author is employed by Recovery Plus China and another received research funding from that company. The remaining authors declared no conflicts of interest.