The Effects of School-Based Interventions for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-Analysis 1996–2010

Abstract

.A meta-analysis evaluating the effects of school-based interventions for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was conducted by examining 60 outcome studies between 1996 and 2010 that yielded 85 effect sizes. Separate analyses were performed for studies employing between-subjects, within-subjects, and single-subject experimental designs. The overall mean effect sizes for dependent measures of behavior were positive and significant for within-subjects (0.72) and single-subject (2.20) designs, but not for between-subjects (0.18) designs. Mean effect sizes for academic outcomes were positive but not significant for between-subjects (0.43) and within-subjects (0.42) design studies, but were positive and significant for single-subject (3.48) design studies. Contingency management, academic intervention, and cognitive-behavioral intervention strategies were all associated with positive effects for academic and behavioral outcomes. Other moderators (e.g., school setting, publication status) are discussed along with implications for school-based management of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and future treatment studies for this population.