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Neurocognitive academic training to improve symptoms executive functions and Chinese handwriting in children with ADHD
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  • Published: 03 April 2026

Neurocognitive academic training to improve symptoms executive functions and Chinese handwriting in children with ADHD

  • Han Jiang1,
  • Stuart J. Johnstone2,
  • Yingxin Li3,
  • Jinjin Lu4 &
  • …
  • Bo-Bei Mao3 

npj Science of Learning , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology

Abstract

This study examined the efficacy of Neurocognitive-Academic Training (NAT) which is an integrating computerized neurocognitive training, teacher positive feedback, and handwriting practice for children with ADHD. Fifty-six children (5-9 years) were assigned to NAT or a control group. Significant Time × Group interactions revealed that NAT yielded large-effect improvements in inhibitory control, on-task behavior, handwriting construction and accuracy, and parent/homeroom teacher-rated inattention and hyperactivity. While working memory also showed significant improvement in the NAT group, its progression differed, reflected in significant main effects rather than an interaction. No effects emerged for handwriting directionality. Domain-specific efficacy gradients were observed, with maximal benefits for handwriting construction (η²p = 0.68) and accuracy (η²p = 0.45), and parent-rated inattention (η²p = 0.46). The findings demonstrate that a low-frequency NAT protocol can simultaneously enhance behavioral, cognitive, and academic outcomes, highlighting the value of embedding neurocognitive training within ecologically valid academic contexts.

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Data availability

The de-identified behavioral and assessment datasets generated and analyzed during this study, which are necessary to interpret and replicate the reported findings, are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Data sharing is subject to approval from the study’s ethics committee to ensure compliance with participant privacy and consent agreements.

Code availability

The custom scripts used for the presentation of the computerized inhibitory and working memory paradigms, as well as for the initial processing of the behavioral data generated by these tasks, are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the National Social Science Found of China (Grant No. BQA250223) awarded to H.J. The authors are deeply grateful to schools, teachers, and children who participated in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Suzhou Early Childhood Education College, Suzhou, China

    Han Jiang

  2. School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

    Stuart J. Johnstone

  3. College of Children Development and Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China

    Yingxin Li & Bo-Bei Mao

  4. Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, China

    Jinjin Lu

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  1. Han Jiang
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  2. Stuart J. Johnstone
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  3. Yingxin Li
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Contributions

H.J. designed and investigated the study; S.J. designed the study and supervised technical data of NCT; Y. L. analyze the quantitative data; J. L. supervised the handwriting tasks and data; B. M. analyze the qualitative data. All authors wrote, read, and approved the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Han Jiang.

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Jiang, H., Johnstone, S.J., Li, Y. et al. Neurocognitive academic training to improve symptoms executive functions and Chinese handwriting in children with ADHD. npj Sci. Learn. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-026-00415-9

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  • Received: 01 September 2025

  • Accepted: 11 March 2026

  • Published: 03 April 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-026-00415-9

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