Home-Based Parent-Child Intervention to Enhance Executive Function

Abstract Koronis Biomedical TechnologiesKBTand itscollaborators propose to develop and fully validate a low costdevelopmentally appropriatesmartphone based cognitive intervention for young childrenThe proposed intervention seeks to address the needs of families with young children identified with deficits in executive functionEFa critical cognitive process associated with self controlEmerging assessment tools provide a science basednormed cognitive assessment for children as young as two years oldParents of these young childrenidentified with cognitive deficitshave an unmet need for affordable cognitive intervention optionThis research seeks to fill this need by developing an in home cognitive training system which provides parents with a modular series of shorteasy to followcollaborative cognitive training activities they will share with their childThe system will employ a novel two generational training model that views parental involvement as a critical component of the intervention processIn this modelan engagingparent facing smartphone application will deliver personalized daily training activities consisting of both traditional hands on activities as well as collaborative parent controlledchild facing video gamesThis approach supports multiple pathways for learning and the building of strong personal relationships between parent and child Narrative There is a great need for science based cognitive behavioral intervention for young children with executive function deficitsExecutive function is a classification for a broad range of neurocognitive processes involved in goal directed problem solving and self controland there is widespread recognition that children s developing executive function skills provide an important foundation for learning and school successAdvances in the design and delivery modality for executive function interventions is an important public health goal