The Effectiveness Companion of Cognitive Behavioral Interventions and the Sensory Processing Styles Training on Behavioral Problems in Children Aged 7-12 Years

Background: Children’s health is very important in societies. Children’s behavioral problems result in efficiency rate reducing in educational performance. Therefore, solving these problems is necessary. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions and sensory processing styles training on children’s behavioral problems (7-12 aged).

Methods: The current study was quasi-experimental with the pretest-posttest design. The statistical population of this research included all elementary students of sari city in 2017-2018. Among them, 90 target students (30 students per intervention) were selected as samples by the clustering sampling method and were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Experimental groups received cognitive-behavioral interventions and sensory processing styles training orderly. Control group received no training. A child behavioral questionnaire was used to collect information. After scoring the questionnaire and extracting the data, SPSS-21 software used for statistical analysis of multivariate covariance and independent t test.

Results: The findings showed that cognitive-behavioral interventions and the training of sensory processing styles have a significant effect on behavioral problems in children and have reduced the internalization and extraversion problems in experimental groups and the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral intervention in reducing behavioral problems in children is more significant than teaching sensory processing styles.

Conclusion: We suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy and sensory processing styles training are useful for parents. They help to thought control, ethical behavior and parents, mental health.