High School–Based Treatment for Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Results From a Pilot Study Examining Outcomes and Dosage

Support for this research was provided by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to the first author (R34MH074713).

Abstract.

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and dose–response relationship of a school-based treatment program for high school students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Two paraprofessionals provided interventions to 24 students with ADHD randomly assigned to the treatment condition at two public high schools. They met in dyadic coaching sessions during one school year. In addition, parents attended weekly parent meetings and adolescents attended group sessions targeting social functioning in the evenings for 10 weeks in the fall semester. Intent-to-treat analyses showed little statistically significant benefit for the participants; however, effect sizes indicated moderate improvements in parent ratings of inattention, relationships with peers, academic impairment, and family functioning. There was large variability in the dosage of services received across participants, and an analysis of outcomes by dosage suggests large differences in response based on the number of sessions attended. This school-based intervention provides a viable option for educators and school mental health professionals who wish to provide interventions for high school students with ADHD, but further development and evaluation are needed.

Notes

1 Two students elected to drop from the study after five or fewer meetings with the ADHD coach. When these cases are removed from the dataset, the average number of sessions between students and coaches is 28.6 (SD = 4.9, range = 17–41), which is roughly equivalent to one CHP coaching session every six school days.

2 Parents attended parent training when adolescents attended ISG. We chose to consider the parents' and adolescents' attendance as one session because they occurred concurrently.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Steven W. Evans

Steven W. Evans, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Ohio University and codirector of the Center for Intervention Research in Schools. His research focuses on the development and evaluation of school-based interventions for adolescents with ADHD and related disorders.

Brandon K. Schultz

Brandon K. Schultz, EdD, NCSP, is an assistant professor of pediatric school psychology at East Carolina University. His research interests include school mental health, behavior interventions in secondary schools, and quantitative psychology.

Christine E. DeMars

Christine E. DeMars, PhD, is a professor of graduate psychology and senior assessment specialist at James Madison University. Her primary research focuses on item response theory and differential item functioning.