Effects of School-Based Interventions for Preschoolers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Related Behaviors: A Meta-analysis

Abstract A meta-analysis evaluating the effects of school-based interventions for preschool students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was conducted using 12 outcome studies. Separate effect size analyses were performed including between-subjects, with-in-subjects, and single-subject experimental designs. Results indicated that between-subject studies focused on problem behaviors within classroom’s revealed an unweighted effect size of 0.53, whereas an effect size of 0.08 was noted when researchers focused on increasing prosocial behaviors. The within-subject pre-post treatment study results yielded an effect size of 0.58. The unweighted average effect size for single subject studies implementing multiple baseline and reversal designs was 2.06 as calculated using the BC-SMD method. Single-subject studies that utilized an alternating treatment design had effect sizes calculated using either PBM or PEM methods. The average effect size across measurements of disruptive behavior was calculated at 83% and 90%. Function-based interventions were associated with the highest effect sizes. These findings provide further evidence supporting the use of function based interventions in school based settings.