Response to Intervention for Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Incorporating an Evidence-Based Intervention Within a Multi-tiered Framework

Abstract

(from the chapter) Response to intervention (RTI) refers to a collection of practices aimed at the timely identification of student problems to enhance achievement and behavioral outcomes in a cost-effective manner. Among the RTI models that have been investigated, there are similar components that distinguish RTI from other education models. Namely, RTI (a) utilizes practices to identify students based on risk, as opposed to deficit, resulting in the early identification of students who may be struggling; (b) provides high-quality supplemental instruction or behavioral support to mitigate risks as soon as difficulties are noted; and (c) uses data-driven progress monitoring tools to determine a child's response to intervention and need for additional intervention. To date, there is limited evidence demonstrating the efficacy or feasibility of RTI beyond early elementary school-age students and in content areas beyond reading. Yet, there is significant potential in the use of RTI to identify and address the educational needs of youth with disruptive behavior disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how evidence-based classroom interventions for youth with ADHD can be applied using the RTI framework. To achieve this goal, we will focus our discussion and demonstration on the Daily Report Card intervention (DRC), as it is the most widely used and studied classroom intervention for ADHD. However, because many evidence-based classroom interventions for ADHD incorporate behavior principles similar to those used in the DRC, the procedures outlined in this chapter can be applied to other evidence-based interventions including token economies, response cost programs, and interventions targeting homework and organization. In the first half of the chapter, we provide a brief overview of RTI, discuss the association between ADHD and academic impairment that underscores the need for an RTI approach to services for these students, and describe our rationale for selecting the DRC intervention as an exemplar intervention. In the second half of the chapter, we then demonstrate how the DRC can be applied using a three-tiered RTI approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)