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Improving Executive Function and Academic Success in ADHD: Effective Behavioral Interventions

Updated: May 20

Managing the behaviors and academics of children who have ADHD is imperative for their success. Some new research that demonstrates the effectiveness of behavioral interventions that enhance executive function and achieve success for children who have ADHD. Two that hold some of the greatest promise are Central Executive Training and Organizational Skills Training. The following are some of the key results.



Central Executive Training (CET): A Roadway to Academic Success

Central Executive Training is a highly effective treatment for the repair of executive malfunction among children with ADHD. Central Executive Training aims to ameliorate the central executive component of the working memory system that is generally found deficient among children with ADHD. According to a study conducted by Singh et al., (2022) it showed that CET was significantly better than both Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) and Inhibitory Control Training (ICT) in unmasking teacher perceptions of the improvement of academic success, impulse control, and academic productivity among children with ADHD (Singh et al., 2022).


In the study done by Singh et al. (2022), 2 distinct multisite clinical trials were delivered to 108 children aged 8-13 years. Participants were randomized to either CET, ICT, or BPT. Masked teacher perception of academic improvement showed superiority for CET at 1-2 months post-treatment. Results also revealed relative superiority for CET over both comparator groups at 2-4 month follow-up assessments, with greater between-group effect sizes in reading comprehension, math problem-solving, and language comprehension. Therefore, this medium suggests that deficient executive functioning should be targeted to improve academic success in children with ADHD (Singh et al., 2022).


Organizational Skills Training (OST) and PATHKO Building Essential Skills

Another very important area of ADHD management is the improvement of organizational, time management, and planning skills. Organizational Skills Training (OST) and PATHKO have been demonstrated to provide robust, sustained improvements in the organizational, time management, and planning skills of children with ADHD. Abikoff et al. (2013) conducted a double-site randomized controlled trial to test the relative efficacy of OST, PATHKO, and a wait-list control group, for 3rd to 5th-grade ADHD children with organizational dysfunction (Abikoff et al., 2013).


A total of 158 children with ADHD were randomized to OST, PATHKO, and to a wait-list control group. The OST intervention was an unaided, skills-building intervention predominantly delivered to the child, while PATHKO was a child-based contingency management program that provided training to parents and teachers to reinforce children contingently for meeting endpoint target goals. Outcome results indicated that relative to the waitlist control group, children in OST were improved significantly on multiple outcome measures, including the COSS-Parent, COSS-Teacher, academic performance and proficiencies, homework, and family functioning. In addition, OST had significant maintenance effects, with children continuing to improve significantly through the end of the following school year on most outcomes (Abikoff et al., 2013).


Sustaining Improvements and Long-term Benefits

Overall, the benefits of CET, OST, and PATHKO to children with ADHD go beyond immediate improvements and provide a long-term payoff. In as far as these executive function and organizational skills are concerned, their improvements provide better academic performance and functioning in a sustained manner. Students are given the tools necessary to ameliorate the core deficits of ADHD, enhancing the chances for academic and social success. More generally, the need to address the academic challenges of students with ADHD is supported by research by Loe and Feldman (2007).


Their research identifies the poor academic outcomes that are typically shown by children with ADHD, like average grading scores, poor standardized test scores, and an increased percent of grade retention. Pharmacologic treatment and behavioral interventions, such as CTE and OST, also contribute majorly to the success of correcting these challenges and making the children more academic-productive and successful (Loe & Feldman, 2007).


Conclusion: Effective Interventions for a Better Future

The actuality of findings from research put in the recent past speaks to the critical role that targeted behavioral interventions will play in enabling these children to overcome ADHD-related setbacks. Central Executive Training (CET) and Organizational Skills Training (OST) have been found to be incredibly effective in enhancing executive function and academic outcomes in children with ADHD.


The interventions not only serve to purpose concerning the immediate deficits, but the benefits are also sustained, help to enhance the long-term outcomes. As research progresses, these strategies will be greatly leveraged in the creation of better lives for children with ADHD to allow them the opportunity to realize their full potential.


Bibliography


[1] Singh, L. J., Gaye, F., Cole, A. M., Chan, E., & Kofler, M. J. (2022). Central executive training for ADHD: Effects on academic achievement, productivity, and success in the classroom. Neuropsychology. Retrieved from https://consensus.app/papers/central-executive-training-adhd-effects-achievement-singh/ec80cec499265cdca87dbe2409b71475/?utm_source=chatgpt


[2] Abikoff, H., Gallagher, R., Wells, K., Murray, D., Huang, L., Lu, F., & Petkova, E. (2013). Remediating organizational functioning in children with ADHD: Immediate and long-term effects from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Retrieved from https://consensus.app/papers/remediating-functioning-children-adhd-effects-abikoff/8f0447d8a9c25ecda59105fe458d1c11/?utm_source=chatgpt


[3] Loe, I. M., & Feldman, H. M. (2007). Academic and educational outcomes of children with ADHD. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. undefined. Retrieved from https://consensus.app/papers/academic-outcomes-children-adhd

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