Efficacy of the First Step to Success Intervention for Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

This study evaluated the efficacy of the First Step to Success early intervention for students meeting criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). First Step is a targeted intervention for students in grades K-3 with externalizing behavior problems, and addresses secondary prevention goals and objectives. As part of a larger randomized controlled trial conducted within the Albuquerque Public School system, the efficacy of the First Step program was evaluated on a subsample of 42 students meeting DSM-IV criteria for ADHD who were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or a usual care control group. The First Step program was found to have significant and moderate-to-large post-intervention effects on school-based measures of ADHD and disruptive behavior symptoms, social functioning, and academic functioning. The intervention effects on the home-based assessments of problem behaviors and social skills were less robust and nonsignificant. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.