Where This Comes From

The key studies, in one line each

1. Behavioral approaches work. A review of 174 studies found strong and consistent evidence that behavioral treatments help children with ADHD.

   Fabiano, Pelham and colleagues, Clinical Psychology Review, 2009.

2. What counts as well established. Behavioral parent training, behavioral classroom management, behavioral peer programs, and organization skills training.

   Evans, Owens and colleagues, Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2018.

3. What pediatricians recommend. For ages 6 to 12, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parent training in behavior management and classroom behavioral support as part of care, together with the medical treatment your child's doctor advises.

   Wolraich and colleagues, Pediatrics, 2019.

4. The largest treatment trial. 579 children treated for 14 months. Combining behavioral treatment with medical care gave the best results for daily functioning, such as parent-child relations and social skills.

   MTA Cooperative Group, Archives of General Psychiatry, 1999.

5. Routines, checklists, and small steps. Teaching organization skills produced large, lasting gains at home and at school.

   Abikoff, Gallagher and colleagues, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2013.

6. Homework and the home-school link. In a trial of 199 children, a family-school program improved homework performance and parenting.

   Power, Mautone and colleagues, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2012.

7. The daily report card. Seven studies, 272 children: a simple daily note between teacher and parent improved classroom behavior.

   Iznardo, Rogers and colleagues, Journal of Attention Disorders, 2020.

8. Sleep matters, and it is fixable. In one Australian survey, parents reported sleep problems in 73 percent of children with ADHD (Sung and colleagues, 2008). Two short sessions of behavioral sleep coaching cut moderate to severe sleep problems from 56 to 30 percent in three months.

   Hiscock and colleagues, BMJ, 2015.

9. You are not alone. About 1 in 9 U.S. children ages 6 to 11 has been diagnosed with ADHD. Among children with ADHD, nearly 8 in 10 have another condition too, such as anxiety or a learning disability.

   Danielson and colleagues, CDC, 2024.

10. Why self control lags behind. Brain scans show that the regions that manage attention and self control mature later in children with ADHD, by about three years on average.

    Shaw and colleagues, PNAS, 2007.

Trusted places to read next

• CDC, ADHD pages. Plain facts, treatment overviews, and current data. cdc.gov/adhd
• CHADD. The national ADHD nonprofit. Parent training courses and local support groups. chadd.org
• Understood. Practical help with school, learning differences, IEPs and 504 plans. understood.org
• Child Mind Institute. Clear guides on behavior, big emotions, and treatment. childmind.org
• ADDitude. Articles and webinars from clinicians and parents. additudemag.com
• National Institute of Mental Health. Research-based overview of ADHD. nimh.nih.gov
• Your rights at school. U.S. Department of Education, “Students with ADHD and Section 504: A Resource Guide” (2016). Good grades do not disqualify a child from an evaluation. Search the title at ed.gov.