The main focus of Mason’s program was to improve his processing speed, and this was targeted in two ways—cognitively and behaviorally. In order to improve Mason’s processing speed, the metronome was incorporated to strengthen the ability to process information (input and output). In parallel, his trainer concentrated on instilling him with the confidence and behaviors needed to drive up his pace.

The biggest liability to Mason’s processing speed was his inattentiveness. Mason was easily distracted and his concentration was easily disrupted by both external (e.g., noise, change in environment) and internal (e.g., his thoughts) distractions. Mason also got “lost” often, which became a culprit for spending a long time on tasks. For example, when Mason lost sight on the directions for a task or became confused while performing the tasks, he had trouble becoming “unstuck”. In light of this issue (figuring out multiple steps/prioritizing) we worked on “troubleshooting” (problem solving/meta-cognition) for how to breakdown a mental task to still get to an answer quickly. This was done by prompting Mason for his thought process and getting him to think metacognitively (to think about his thinking).

Over the course of his program, Mason improved his ability to work quickly within a time constraint and became much more accurate at estimating how long tasks are going to take him. In sessions, Mason began approaching tasks at a noticeably accelerated pace with increased accuracy. Giving Mason time structure and limits was extremely motivating for him and helped him internalize that he was capable of continued growth.

In order to transfer these gains, the focus switched to generalizing techniques and his metacognitive strength to school, studying, and life skills. However, when prompted to consider how he may apply his improved skills going forward, Mason remarked matter of factly that he was already doing this!