Lecturer
Aida Bikic
Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aabenraa Hospital
| Project management | ||
| Project status | Sampling ongoing | |
| Data collection dates | ||
| Start | 01.06.2017 | |
| End | 01.03.2020 | |
Organizational skills training for children with ADHD
Short summary
Organizational skills training (OST) is a behavioral intervention that has been increasingly used to address difficulties with time management and organization of materials in children with ADHD, that tend to persist despite medication and behavioral treatments. This randomized clinical superiority trial is going to investigate the effect of Organizational Skills Training, a group treatment approach for parents and children on organizational skills, inattentive symptoms and functional outcome in children age 6-13 years. Half of the participants will receive treatment as usual (TAU) and organizational skills training and the other half will receive TAU.
Rationale
Background: Although problems with inattention and hyperactivity are the most prominent landmarks of ADHD, many children with this diagnosis also present issues with poor organizational skills that are necessary for managing materials and time especially in relation to school projects. Organizational deficits include procrastination, failure to prioritize and failure to manage materials and time. These problems tend to increase from childhood to adolescence and are often not well managed by medication or behavioral interventions. Organizational skills training (OST) is a developing area of research that targets organizational skills deficits. Evidence is supporting the effect of OST on primarily organizational skills, but also on inattention and academic performance. Organizational skills deficits are strongly associated with functional outcome why it is important to target them early in life. Previous trials on OST have shown mostly good effects, but little is known about the factors that influence which patients benefit the most from the treatment. This is the first trial to use objective cognitive tests to investigate if patients with different cognitive profiles benefit differently from the treatment. Additionally, all trials on OST have been conducted in North America. This is the first randomized and controlled trial of organizational skills in a European context.
Objectives: The primary objective is to investigate if organizational skills training has a positive effect on organizational skills. Secondary and exploratory outcomes are including cognitive functions, ADHD symptoms, behavioral and functional outcomes before and after the intervention period and after a 24 week follow-up. An additional objective is to investigate which cognitive profiles benefit the most from the program.
Methods: This is a randomized clinical superiority trial investigating the effect of OST, a group treatment approach for parents and children with ADHD in the age range of 6-13 years to either intervention or control group in a single blind design. Both groups receive treatment-as-usual. The intervention consists of group training for parents and children for 10 weekly sessions.
Perspectives: This study will provide important new knowledge and expand on existing research in the field of non-pharmacological treatment of children with ADHD. OST can make a significant impact on the lives of children with ADHD and help them learn how to manage and how to compensate for their present deficits. This could help children with ADHD to perform better in everyday life and school and become more independent and self-reliant.
Description of the cohort
Children with ADHD
Data and biological material
Questionnaires and cognitive testing
Collaborating researchers and departments
Child Study Centre, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University
- Associate professor Denis Sukhodolsky, PhD
Department of Economics and Business, National Centre for Register?based Research, Aarhus University
- Professor Søren Dalsgaard, MD, PhD