IDeA – project Self-regulation and ADHD in School Contexts

Development and empirical evaluation of a self-regulation training for children with ADHD, to be applied in school instructional contexts

Self-regulation is highly significant in school contexts – scientific research has shown that the self-regulation abilities of children and adolescents is a better predictor of their school-related success than their intelligence. Children and adolescents with ADHD, however, are highly afflicted by deficiencies in their self-regulation capacities. For instance, they find it difficult to suppress behaviour, to plan ahead or to resist distraction.

In cooperation with the private grammar school at Esslingen (PGE), the IDeA researchers wish to put different methods of improving self-regulation to a practical test, and assess their effectiveness. The PGE is currently the only grammar school in the German-speaking area that specializes in guiding children with ADHD towards attaining a higher education entry qualification (Abitur).

The project focuses on testing so-called IF-THEN-plans: their effectiveness has been substantially proven as regards the implementation of goals, particularly in the health psychological domain. An IF-THEN-plan determines how, and in what kinds of situations, an action is to be taken in order to achieve a predetermined goal. Several studies conducted by the working group led by Professor Caterina Gawrilow have shown that specific IF-THEN-plans are particularly helpful for children with ADHD. By comparison with simple instructions, children with ADHD benefited from these plans because the plans served them better in suppressing impulsive reactions, delaying rewards and generally performing better at different tasks.

Building on these findings, the research project aims to investigate how self-regulation strategies must be designed so that they are beneficial to children with ADHD in school contexts. The respective findings will eventually be included in a manual that will enable teachers to implement the described strategies on their own, and requiring just a short space of time, during lessons.

The research project is supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation.
External cooperation partner: Privates Gymnasium (private grammar school) Esslingen
Staff: Lena Guderjahn