Cognitive Control Therapy with ADD Children and Adolescents

Background: In the whole spectrum of mental health disorders, cognitive structures play one of the most important role, both for the evolution of the disease, and also for the development of the person affected. In this context, it becomes very important to do a correct assessment of the cognitive function, and, also to preserve as much as possible the integrity of the cerebral structure involved in this process. Aims: Emphasizing the importance of cognition and cognitive structures in ADD. Psychological intervention as a core intervention besides medical treatment. Method: This is a theoretical study, conducted by observing and comparing data collected from the therapeutic intervention in 9 children and adolescent diagnosed with ADD and being enrolled in psychological therapy at the CMHC No.1 in Tirana in a 6 months period. The subjects underwent various evaluation sessions by psychiatrists, psychologist, speech therapist and psychomotor specialist; WISC 3R was used as the intelligence assessment scale in order to sort out mental retardation; parents not structured questionnaire was conducted at the beginning and at the end of the study. Cognitive Control Therapy was chosen as an innovative psychotherapeutic intervention to help the subject due to the need to rehabilitate these cognitive structures, to produce and coordinate the information. Results and Discussion: It was observed an improvement in the executive functions, reduction of behavioural problems, and facilitation of attention deficit during cognitive tasks; increased pleasure during academic process. Conclusion: Children becomes able to develop new and improved cognitive structures, gains abilities to better use thought process during studying and adaptation due to the training and awareness of their personal ways of learning and adaptation. They reveal the unconscious cognitive manoeuvres which produce sadness, laziness, anxiety and anger and learns also, to use new and appropriate mechanisms and behavioural models by emphasizing so the importance of psychological intervention in ADD.