An after-school skills program cut homework problems in young teens with ADHD

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   326 students in grades 6 to 8 with ADHD, from nine middle schools. Boys made up 69 to 74 in every 100 students in each group, and the average age was about 12.

2. 02

   What they did

   Students were put into one of three groups for a school year. One group went to an after-school program twice a week, for two hours and 15 minutes each time. Another group met a school staff member as a mentor about once a week. The third group got only a list of local services.

3. 03

   What happened

   Against the list group, the after-school group planned tasks, managed materials and had fewer homework problems. The gains lasted six months, and parents saw fewer attention problems. Grades were higher the next year. Organized actions, teacher ratings, social skills and academic progress did not clearly differ.

What the study found

1. MixedTime management

   Students planned tasks and managed materials better, but keeping things in order did not change.

   • Action: Organise your materialstested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Randomised trial of 326 middle-school students with ADHD · vs students given only a list of services · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

2. HelpedGoals

   After-school students had fewer homework problems at the end and six months later.

   • Action: Organise your materialstested
   • Action: Learn better study strategiestested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Randomised trial of 326 middle-school students with ADHD · vs students given only a list of services · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

3. HelpedGoals

   In the year after the program, the after-school group had higher average grades than the other two groups.

   • Action: Organise your materialstested
   • Action: Learn better study strategiestested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Randomised trial of 326 middle-school students with ADHD · vs the mentor group and the list group · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

4. HelpedOther outcomes

   Parents rated attention problems lower for after-school students than for the list group, and the gap grew by six months.

   • Action: Organise your materialstested
   • Action: Learn better study strategiestested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Randomised trial of 326 middle-school students with ADHD · vs students given only a list of services · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

Source