Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with significant challenges in child functioning. Although behavioral parent training (BPT) can reduce ADHD symptoms, factors associated with traditional face-to-face (F2F) delivery results in only about half of families receiving BPT. The purpose of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to examine parent engagement and program acceptability of F2F and online BPT, as well as the efficacy of both formats relative to a waitlist control (WLC) group. Participants were 47 families with preschool children (30 boys, 17 girls) who were between the ages of 3 years 0 months (3;0) and 5 years 11 months (5;11) old who were identified at risk for ADHD. Children were randomly assigned to F2F or online BPT or to WLC; parents in the two treatment conditions received 10 sessions of BPT. Assessment data for all groups were collected at pre-, mid-, and posttreatment. Both intervention formats resulted in high attendance (M = 80%) and significantly improved parent knowledge of interventions, treatment implementation fidelity, and child behavior (reduced restlessness and impulsivity, improved self-control, affect, and mood) compared with WLC. However, parents in the F2F group reported significantly higher acceptability ratings than parents in the online group. Findings indicate a streamlined BPT delivered online or F2F results in high levels of engagement, acceptability, as well as parent treatment knowledge and fidelity. Online BPT is associated with similar efficacious outcomes with F2F BPT, suggesting the need for further research to determine variables that predict greater acceptability for and adoption of this format.

The most efficacious psychosocial intervention for reducing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in young children is behavioral parent training (BPT). Potential benefits are hindered by limited accessibility, low session attendance, and poor implementation of prescribed strategies. As a result, only approximately half of families with young children with ADHD receive BPT. We describe an innovative approach for reducing barriers to BPT access. Specifically, we invoked an iterative, 5-step process of intervention development and revision to modify an existing face-to-face BPT program and develop an online version. Results indicated that the revised program and online versions (a) increased parent engagement with BPT, (b) enhanced accessibility, (c) produced favorable parent acceptability and feasibility ratings, and (d) resulted in improved child outcomes.

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for experiencing problems with social functioning that are associated with adverse outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. To date, the most common ADHD treatments for children, psychostimulants and adult-mediated interventions, have had limited success reducing social impairments associated with ADHD. Using a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design, we examined the efficacy of a sibling-mediated social intervention for reducing negative and increasing positive social behaviors of three children with ADHD. We also assessed implementation integrity by the siblings, and acceptability from the perspective of the participant with ADHD, the siblings, and the parents. Results indicated that siblings learned and used specific social skills strategies with their siblings with ADHD that lead to increases in sharing, helping, and compromising behaviors for children with ADHD compared with baseline (Tau- U = 0.9531, p < .001). Summary of findings, study limitations, implications for research, and practice are discussed.

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