Symposia
ADHD - Child
Joseph S. Raiker, Jr., Ph.D.
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Morgan Jusko, M.S.
Graduate Student
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Jessica Smith, M.S.
Graduate Student
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Mileini Campez, M.S.
Graduate Student
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Kelcey J. Little, B.S., M.S.
Research and Program Manager
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia
Elizabeth Gnagy, M.S.
Research Scientist
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Andrew Greiner, B.S.
Research Scientist
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Justin Parent, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor (Research)
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Erika Coles, Ph.D.
Associate Clinical Professor
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
William E. Pelham Jr., Ph.D.
Distinguished University Professor
Center for Children and families, Florida International University
Miami, FL
Behavioral interventions are a well-established and effective intervention for youth with ADHD (Fabiano et al., 2009; 2021). Despite decades of research on their effectiveness, recent work demonstrates that nearly 1/3 of children with disruptive behavior problems may fail to respond sufficiently (Pelham et al., 2016). To date, predictors of treatment response remain elusive; however, evolutions in our understanding of potential etiological mechanisms associated with ADHD (e.g., cognitive functioning, reward sensitivity) indicate that they may have promising implications for the identification of predictors of treatment responsiveness (Fosco et al., 2018; van Langen et al., 2021). Unfortunately, most studies aiming to isolate predictors of treatment responsiveness have relied on rating scales to assess responsiveness rather than direct observation of behaviors in more ecologically valid settings, making conclusions difficult to draw regarding their potential utility outside of a laboratory setting. In the current study, we will present preliminary data that examines the relation between specific cognitive functions and responsiveness to an 8-week intensive behavioral treatment program (i.e., the Summer Treatment Program [STP]; Pelham & Hoza, 1996) using directly observed indices of behavior. Approximately forty children with disruptive behavior problems participating in the STP in 2018 or 2019 were administered a battery of cognitive tasks (e.g., information processing speed, inhibitory control) during the first two weeks of the program. Additionally, while participating in the eight-week treatment program, children earned and lost points immediately upon exhibiting desirable and undesirable behaviors, respectively, and this was recorded for clinical and data analytic purposes. Initially, we will examine whether neurocognitive functioning is related to the frequency of rule violations in the program. Consistent with past work demonstrating that greater parent and teacher-rated symptoms of ADHD are associated with worse neurocognitive performance (Raiker et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2020), we anticipate that youth with poorer neurocognitive functioning will exhibit a greater number of rule violations in the program. Additionally, we will examine whether neurocognitive functioning is related to treatment change by estimating the relation between the former and the number of rule violations exhibited during the last three weeks of the program (i.e., after controlling for the first three weeks of the program).