Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and specific learning disorder (SLD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) affecting children's education and social behavior. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of neurofeedback—standalone or combined—on cognitive, academic, behavioral, and neurophysiological outcomes in Iranian children and adolescents with these conditions.

Methods: Following PRISMA-2020 guidelines, Iranian databases were systematically searched for quantitative studies published between 2015 and 2025. Inclusion criteria targeted Iranian participants under 18 with ADHD, ASD, or SLD undergoing neurofeedback training. Two independent reviewers handled data extraction and quality assessment. The analysis included 63 studies evaluating 2,148 subjects: 38 focused on ADHD, 20 on SLDs, and 5 on ASDs.

Results: Neurofeedback training significantly improved cognitive and executive functions (sustained attention, working memory, flexibility, inhibition), academic achievement (reading, writing, mathematics), and behaviors (reduced hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggression), alongside notable neurophysiological changes in brain wave activity. Combining neurofeedback with cognitive rehabilitation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), or play therapy yielded superior, more lasting results than standalone protocols. However, major methodological limitations persisted, including small sample sizes, lack of sham controls, brief follow-up periods, and limited generalizability, as participants were primarily boys aged 7–12.

Conclusions: Neurofeedback holds strong potential as an alternative intervention for managing cognitive impairments and symptoms of ADHD, SLD, and ASD in Iranian children, especially when individualized and combined with other treatments. While constrained by methodological flaws, current evidence suggests neurofeedback promotes brain plasticity. Future research requires large-scale, randomized controlled trials with sham groups, diverse ethnicities, longer treatments, and standardized protocols.