This meta-analysis pooled results from 12 randomized controlled trials of organizational skills training for children and teenagers with ADHD. The trials included 1054 young people aged 5 to 18, with 576 getting the training and 478 in control groups. Control groups received parent education, usual care, a waitlist spot, or community services.
The training helped most with organization. Parents reported a large improvement in how organized their children were (g = 0.83). Teachers reported a moderate improvement in the same area (g = 0.54). Parents also reported a moderate drop in inattention (g = 0.56).
The other effects were smaller but still real. Teacher-rated inattention improved only a little (g = 0.26). Teacher-rated academic performance showed a small gain (g = 0.33). Grade point average rose modestly (g = 0.29).
The authors urge caution. The parents and teachers who rated the children knew who had received treatment, and parents often took part in the training themselves, which could inflate the results. The ratings also disagreed a lot from one study to the next.
Follow-up data from five trials suggested the gains held for at least one to six months. The authors conclude that organizational skills training could be considered as part of a broader treatment approach for children and adolescents with ADHD.
Source: Bikic A, Reichow B, McCauley S, et al.. Meta-analysis of organizational skills interventions for children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Clinical Psychology Review (2017). doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2016.12.004