The Neuropsychological Educational Approach (NEAR) developed by Alice Medalia, Ph.D. in 2001 is used to train several thinking skills such as attention, working memory, verbal memory, reasoning and problem-solving, and speed of processing. A key component of NEAR is to encourage use of these cognitive skills learned during training in daily life situations. The NEAR approach consists of training sessions made up of 3 to 6 participants, is based on the enhancement of internal motivation guided by self-determination theory and combines cognitive exercises and a behaviorally oriented Bridging Group.

The NEAR program uses HAPPYneuron softwear selected by Dr. Zeineb Abbes because HAPPYneuron has produced a French version which is being used in Tunisia. In addition, the Bridging Group materials (hard copy handouts) have been translated into Tunisian Arabic by Dr. Abbes. HAPPYneuron is being used because software programs are not the sole means by which the cognitive coaches help the participant improve thinking skills. The Bridging Group is an integral part of transferring learning to daily functioning. The CT-NEAR program has a duration of 3 months and will consist of two 90 minute sessions per week, involving 60 minutes of computerized exercises immediately followed by a 30-minute Bridging Group for a total of 36 sessions. The Bridging Group will consist of goal setting and sharing of strategies used to solve the cognitive exercises. Bridging Group activities will help participants apply what has been learned during cognitive exercises to daily life activities. Exercises are generally fun and engage cognitive dimensions such as attention, working memory, reasoning and problem solving. Prior to the intervention, an initial cognitive assessment will be used to identify cognitive skills that need to be trained and remediated and will be used by the coaches to promote treatment involvement.

The CT-NEAR sessions will be conducted by psychologists of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Clinical and neurocognitive evaluations will take place at the psychiatric rehabilitation clinics of Razi University Hospital and Mongi Slim Hospital or at the Centers for School and University Medicine of the Greater Tunis area.