Organizational Skills Intervention: Homework, Organization, and Planning System

Grant Number: R305A090305 – Department of Education – Institute for Education Sciences
PI: Joshua Langberg, PhD
Collaborators: Jeffery Epstein, PhD; Mekibib Altaye, PhD

The objective of the study is to develop and evaluate an intervention that directly targets the organizational difficulties of children with ADHD. Participants are taught to implement and self-monitor a structured system of bookbag, locker and binder organization and to effectively plan and manage time for the completion of homework, tests and projects.   The study is divided into two phases:

PHASE 1

In Phase I of the study, middle school counselors, psychologists, teachers, middle school students with ADHD and their parents will consult with the intervention developers to modify the after-school treatment protocol for in-school implementation. An intervention protocol will be developed. The intervention will be piloted with 10 children to identify barriers to implementation. Measures of treatment fidelity, skills acquisition and satisfaction will be completed. These data will inform additional modifications of the protocol and further improve feasibility / acceptability of the intervention procedures.

PHASE II

In Phase II of the study, 10 school counselors / psychologists from four school districts will implement the protocol developed in Phase I. Thirty children with ADHD in grades six and eight will receive the intervention. Organizational skills, grade point average and academic impairment will be evaluated at baseline, post intervention and at eight-week follow-up. After implementing the intervention, all participants (teachers, counselors, psychologists, children and parents) will participate in a series of focus groups and will complete intervention satisfaction questionnaires. These data will inform final revisions to the intervention protocol. The resulting product will be an intervention that targets organizational skills in children with ADHD that has potential for widespread school-based dissemination. The final intervention protocol and effect size estimates from the proposed research will lay the foundation for a future study examining the efficacy of the intervention.

Phase II was completed in the spring of 2011.