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Evaluation ViewAttendees 3

Category: ADHD - Child

Symposium 22 - Promoting Success in School: Identifying Key Elements of Effective Organizational Skills Training Interventions

Friday, November 17, 2023
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM PST
Location: Beckler (302), Level 3
CE: 1.5

Keywords: ADHD, Evidence-Based Practice, School
Level of Familiarity: All
Recommended Readings: Aida Bikic, Brian Reichow, Spencer A. McCauley, Karim Ibrahim, Denis G. Sukhodolsky, (2017) Meta-analysis of organizational skills interventions for children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,Clinical Psychology Review, Volume 52, 108-123. ISSN 0272-7358,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.12.004.,   Abikoff, H., Gallagher, R., Wells, K. C., Murray, D. W., 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, 81(1), 113–128. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029648,   Evans, S. W., Owens, J. S., & Bunford, N. (2014). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53, 43(4), 527–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2013.850700,   Wilder, S. (2014). Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: a meta-synthesis. Educ. Rev. 66, 377–397. doi: 10.1080/00131911.2013.780009,  

Executive functioning (EF) is a set of cognitive processes that enables individuals to regulate their behavior and emotions. Demands for EF increase markedly during childhood, and by grade 3 many students demonstrate EF deficits that contribute to school problems. Deficits in EF manifest among students with a wide range of disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, those who have experienced trauma and chronic stress, and those without an identifiable source. Research has raised questions about the effectiveness of targeting EF processes, such as working memory, and has provided evidence that interventions should target behavioral manifestations of EF, including organization, time management, and planning (OTMP) skills.
Over the past 20 years, numerous intervention programs have been developed to improve student OTMP skills. These efforts have been based in clinics and schools and have targeted students in grades 3 to 12. At this point, there is strong evidence to support the effectiveness of organizational skills training programs in reducing OTMP deficits and homework problems and some evidence to indicate these interventions may improve academic performance.
Although the effectiveness of these interventions is now well established, little is known about factors that enable them to be successful. Common elements are that these programs: (a) include multiple components targeting OTMP skills, (b) afford students repeated opportunities to practice skills and obtain feedback, and (c) incorporate strategies to promote generalization of skills to school and home settings.
The purpose of this symposium is to identify key factors associated with the effectiveness of organizational skills training programs. This research has the potential to improve understanding of critical components of effective intervention, informing efforts to train interventionists, monitor fidelity, and provide performance feedback. The first paper examines the importance of involving parents and teachers in organizational skills training; the second paper examines components of in-session and between-session child skills practice; and the third paper examines the effect of number and density of intervention sessions.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:
  • Understand research findings supporting the effectiveness of organizational skills training interventions.
  • Identify factors that may contribute to the success of organizational skills training interventions.
  • Learn factors to include when providing training to interventionists providing organizational skills training.
  • Describe evidence for involving parents/teachers to overcome generalization challenges presented by skills training.
  • Describe the importance and recommended frequency of hands on skills practice in and between sessions to learning of new skills.
  • Describe the recommended number and density of intervention sessions for effective organizational skills training.