Recent research indicates that targeted, repetitive organisation skills training can significantly improve time management and planning abilities in students, including those without ADHD, potentially transforming support strategies in schools.
Children with ADHD often struggle with the kind of executive functions that make school life run smoothly: managing time, keeping track of homework, handing in assignments and planning for larger projects. According to the article on Phys.org, these difficulties can fuel tension at home, affect placement decisions in later schooling and gradually erode a student’s confidence and interest in class. Jenelle Nissley-Tsiopinis, a clinical psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said many pupils can do the work but still lose marks because they forget to submit it or turn it in too late.
Research suggests that structured support can make a difference. A study published in 2024 and indexed in PubMed found that Organization Skills Training-Tier 2, or OST-T2, improved executive function skills among elementary school children after 16 sessions across 22 schools in the greater Philadelphia area. The intervention relied on repeated practice rather than simple instruction, a point Nissley-Tsiopinis said was central to helping children learn the habits themselves.
The same research group is now examining Homework, Organisation and Planning Skills, known as HOPS, in middle school pupils with organisational, time-management and planning deficits. Previous trials, including a randomised study of adolescents with ADHD, found that HOPS and a related programme called Completing Homework by Improving Efficiency and Focus improved homework completion and organisational skills in real school settings. The new study, whose protocol was recently published in PLOS One, will test whether HOPS also helps students with these difficulties who do not have ADHD.
Wendy Chan, an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, said the project offers a chance to study which students benefit most from intervention and why. Related research also points to the wider importance of executive-function support: studies have linked weak working memory and organisational skills with poorer academic performance, while another school-based programme for autistic middle school students improved organisation and school achievement. Together, the findings suggest that targeted, practical interventions can help students who are bright but overwhelmed by the demands of school.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
