A Review of the Research on Interventions for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What Works Best?

Abstract

This meta-analysis examined 74 studies in which there had been an intervention that aimed to improve the behavioral, cognitive, and/or social functioning of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or attention deficit disorder (ADD). Overall, there were larger effects of the various interventions on behavioral than on educational outcomes. These overall effects were larger for medical interventions than for educational, psychosocial, or parent training interventions, but there was little support for flow-over effects, from the reduction in behavior problems to enhanced educational outcomes. The effects on educational outcomes were greater for educational interventions than for other types of intervention. KEYWORDS: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, educational interventions, medical interventions, meta-analysis, psychological interventions.In the 1990s, there was a remarkable increase in the number of students diagnosed as possessing attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity. This increase has been accompanied by an upsurge in the administration of drugs to "assist" these students, particularly in classroom activities, and this remedy has led to many controversies. The efficacy of a range of interventions for attention deficit disorder is still a matter of lively debate, and there is growing concern over the increase in diagnosis, the rate of prescription of drugs, and the use of medication as the sole method of treatment. Juxtaposed with the increase in diagnosis is a phenomenal growth in the literature on this topic. For instance, in searches of Medline, PsycLIT and ERIC from 1990 to 1999, we found 1,379, 2,546, and 436 citations, respectively, in which attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was a key phrase. In a similar period of time, one decade earlier, there were 40, 317, and 35 citations, respectively, in the same electronic databases. Even when the key phrase attention deficit disorder (ADD) was used (to account for the previously more commonly used term), the citations in this earlier period were 450 in Medline, 833 in PsycLIT, and 82 in ERIC.

Behavioral Assessment of Impulsivity: A Comparison of Children With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

“…It might be predicted from Barkley's (1997) conceptualization that children with ADHD would discount the value of delayed rewards, whereas peers without ADHD would be less likely to do so. On the other hand, some have argued that the behaviors associated with ADHD are within the realm of normal behavior for children but are subject to inconsistent interpretation (see Purdie et al, 2002). This issue might be addressed with a functional account of impulsivity as an alternative to the topographically defined measures typically used to diagnose ADHD.…”

Viewing Student Learning through a Theoretical Lens

“…Because drug therapy is the cheapest method and is easy to handle, it is the most common approach to intervention for the treatment of ADHD (Purdie, Hattie & Carroll, 2002). It does have many positive effects on the behavior of ADHD students, for example, inattention, hyperactivity, and misbehavior.…”

“…Fifty percent of individuals experienced nausea, and 17% experienced lowered energy, gas, diarrhea or pain, insomnia, tremor, muscular tension or teeth grinding". Varley & McClellan (as cited in Purdie, Hattie & Carroll, 2002) reported that some people even died of the pharmacological treatment of ADHD. There are also other negative effects on weight, appetite, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep patterns, and so on (Purdie, Hattie & Carroll, 2002).…”

“…Varley & McClellan (as cited in Purdie, Hattie & Carroll, 2002) reported that some people even died of the pharmacological treatment of ADHD. There are also other negative effects on weight, appetite, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep patterns, and so on (Purdie, Hattie & Carroll, 2002). It is possible that the negative effect was greater since the side effects may not be calculated in all studies.…”

The Effectiveness of Terri Hiltel’s Self-Monitoring Program on Improving the Attention of the Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

“…Despite the earlier studies (Arnold et al, 2015;Barkley, 2010;Shapiro & Kratochwill, 2003;Reid, Trout, & Schartz, 2005;Purdie, Hattie, & Carroll, 2002;Binder, Dixon, & Ghezzi, 2000) on the effect of self-monitoring programs on ADHD behaviors, there are still insufficient studies in other fields. The earlier studies used different self-monitoring programs and Terri Hiltel's Programs were not assessed scientifically.…”