Development of a Game-supported Intervention to Improve Learning and Study Strategies among At-Risk Students

Impairments associated with ADHD often persist from elementary into secondary schools, leading to disproportionate rates of underachievement and school dropout. Unfortunately, adolescents with ADHD rarely seek or persist in treatment, even when encouraged by their parents. Most assistance provided to adolescents with ADHD occurs in schools, but professionals in those settings are largely underprepared to meet the behavioral health needs of this population. To bridge the research-practice gap, it is critical to develop treatment delivery models that simultaneously motivate adolescents and simplify intervention procedures for educators. I propose to address these needs by developing and testing an innovative computer-assisted behavior intervention (CABI). CABI is a delivery vehicle through which evidence-based ADHD coping skills are taught to adolescents using an engaging video game, thereby reducing the intervention burden on teachers.

Scholars @ ECU