Cognitive Training of Attention and Executive Functions in Children With Autism

Attention and executive functions are skills commonly impaired in children with autism spectrum disorder. However, the effectiveness of cognitive training in this population remains uncertain. Thus, this meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of available cognitive trainings in improving trained skills and those not directly trained. The search in SCOPUS, ScienceDirect, PubMed databases and reference lists resulted in seven articles analyzed for their quality, risk of bias and effect sizes, covering 213 participants. The effect size was medium for the trained cognitive domains, with greater effects for attention cognitive training. Untrained skills also benefited, especially social interaction and communication. Future studies are needed to assess the effects of cognitive training on other skills, such as academic performance, and in specific components of the executive functions, as inhibitory control