The Effect of Perceptual -Motor and Mindfulness Trainings on emotional intelligence and self-efficacy in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Purpose: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood that causes damage in various dimensions, including academic, social, and familial. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of perceptual-motor training and mindfulness on emotional intelligence and self-efficacy of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Methods: This research was conducted by semi-experimental method with pre-test-post-test design with two experimental groups and control group. Participants included 30 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder aged (9.5±2.14) years who were selected by targeted sampling. The children's parents answered the emotional intelligence and self-efficacy questionnaire as a pre-test. Then the intervention of each experimental group was performed in 8 one-hour sessions. After two groups (mindfulness, mindfulness, and perceptual motor exercises) performed their exercises for four weeks, two sessions each week, and one hour each session, a similar pre-test was performed. To test the research hypotheses, a composite variance analysis test (3 groups * 2 time factors) with repeated measurements with a significant level (p <0.05) was used.
Findings: The results showed that perceptual-motor and mindfulness exercises had a significant effect on improving children's emotional intelligence and self-efficacy with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder compared to the control group p05/0>, while there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two types of intervention on the variables/
Conclusion: In case of results of this study, it is suggested that perceptual-motor exercises and mindfulness can be used to promote emotional intelligence and self-efficacy of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.