Boosting Young Minds: The Impact of Sensory Integration Training on Preschoolers’ Attention in Nan Chong City, China
Abstract
As the world develops, preschool education has an increasingly significant impact on children's attention and well-being. While western studies have used sensory integration training as a treatment for preschool attention disorders and to enhance self-regulation, similar research is lacking in China. This study, conducted in Nanchong City, systematically investigated the effects of eight weeks of twice-weekly sensory integration training on four dimensions of attention (concentration, impulsivity and behavioral control, emotional tension and neuroticism, and stereotyped and rigid behaviors) in China preschoolers using a two-group, 40-person randomized controlled pretest-post-test design. Results showed that the intervention group showed the most significant improvements in impulsive control and emotional stability, with positive improvements also observed in concentration behaviors; the control group showed no significant changes. These results suggest that sensory integration training not only has clinical intervention effects but also has preventive and developmental value for preschoolers. It can serve as an important means of restoring sensory experience, consolidating attentional networks, and enhancing emotional self-regulation amidst the pressure of academic achievement. It is recommended that sensory integration activities be regularly incorporated into kindergarten curricula, and that a multicenter, large-sample, long-term follow-up study be conducted to assess sustained benefits and verify external validity. This study has limitations such as limited sample size, convenience sampling, and short follow-up time.
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