Download The literature is increasingly emphasizing the relationship between Executive Functions (EF) and learning processes. Learning academic skills (reading, writing, and arithmetic) requires, especially in the early stages of acquisition, the intervention of EF, which, according to Diamond's model, involves updating, inhibition, flexibility, and more demanding skills. The literature shows that children with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) often also exhibit EF deficits.
The aim of this work was to conduct a literature search to analyze the different types of EF training in DSA, critically discussing their effectiveness.
Eight articles were selected, subsequently divided into technology training and paper-and-pencil training, which examined EF in school-aged children with SLD.
In light of the considerations expressed in this paper, it can be concluded that enhancing EF, using both technology-based and paper-and-pencil training, can partially improve academic skills in children with SLD. However, there are several limitations, as the data in the literature are inconsistent in both sample size and methods applied, and improvements do not generalise to other functions and are frequently lacking in follow-up over many years.
Strengthening EF, therefore, could prove to be an effective intervention for SLDs, although, given the multifaceted nature of academic skills, it must also include strengthening the impaired domain. At present, however, an exclusive treatment cannot be arbitrarily defined. Consequently, the choice must be individualized based on a thorough assessment of the child's "profile."
It is hoped that further studies on this topic will be conducted in the future, capable of providing greater scientific contributions.