ADHD & Organization
Visual Abstract
Materials Organization, Planning, and Homework Completion in Middle School Students with ADHD: Impact on Academic Performance
Homework Management's Role in ADHD Students' Grades
Langberg JM, Epstein JN, Girio EL, Becker SP, Vaughn AJ, Altaye M
Summarized by:
Charles Li, MD
December 21, 2023
study source
School Ment Health
06/01/2011
Homework Management's Role in ADHD Students' Grades
🔎
What they studied
The study focused on identifying which homework behaviors predict school grades in middle school students with ADHD.
💡
What they found
Parent-rated homework materials management and teacher-rated memory and materials management best predicted school grades.
👩⚕️
Why it matters
Effective management of homework materials is key to academic success for students with ADHD.
Objectives
This study looked at how middle school students with ADHD do their homework to find out which habits are most linked to good grades. It also aimed to figure out whether parents or teachers give the best information about these students' homework habits.
Studies have shown that children with ADHD often struggle with homework. This is a critical factor in why those with ADHD can fall behind academically.
Study Quote
This study evaluated the homework functioning of middle school students with ADHD to determine what aspects are most predictive of school grades and the best source (e.g., parents or teachers) for obtaining this information.
Methods
The study involved 57 middle school students who have ADHD. Both their parents and teachers filled out the Children's Organization Skills Scales (COSS) to check how well the students organize materials, plan, and manage their time. Parents also completed the Homework Problems Checklist (HPC) to look at how the students complete their homework and manage homework materials.
Study Quote
Students with ADHD in grades 5-8 (N = 57) and their parents and teachers completed the Children's Organization Skills Scales (COSS) to measure materials organization, planning, and time-management, and parents completed the Homework Problems Checklist (HPC) to examine homework completion...
Show More
Results
The results showed that the best way to guess a student's grades was to look at how parents rated their homework materials management and how teachers rated their memory and materials management. Basically, if a student was good at organizing their stuff and remembering things, they were likely to have better grades.
Study Quote
Regression analyses revealed that parent-rated homework materials management and teacher-rated memory and materials management were the best predictors of school grades.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that being organized with homework materials is important for students with ADHD. It's a key part of finishing homework properly. The study found that teachers were really good at knowing how well students organize and plan, while parents were great at spotting specific problems with managing homework materials.
Study Quote
These findings suggest that organization of materials is a critical component of the homework completion process for students with ADHD and an important target for intervention. Teachers were the best source of information regarding materials organization and planning, whereas parents we...
Show More
Key Takeaways
Importance of Materials Management
Managing homework materials effectively is vital for the academic success of students with ADHD.
Role of Parents and Teachers
Parents and teachers offer crucial information about students' homework habits and their impact on grades.
Target for Intervention
Organizing materials is a key area to focus on for helping students with ADHD improve academically.
Context
This study adds to what we know from other research. For instance, a study by Langberg et al. in 2008 found that a special 8-week program helped children with ADHD get better at organizing and managing homework, with parents noticing fewer homework problems.
ADHD medication may be able to help improve organization skills as well.Another study by Abikoff and others in 2009 looked at how Ritalin affects organizational skills in kids with ADHD. They found the medication helped improve these skills, but some kids still faced challenges. These studies all point to the importance of focusing on and improving organization skills to help students with ADHD do better in school.