School-Based Social Skills Interventions for Youth With ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ObjectiveChildren and adolescents frequently struggle with social skills performance in academic settings, which can negatively impact quality of life. As such, social skills training is frequently recommended; however, the effectiveness of school-based social skills training has not been synthesized. As such, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the empirical evidence pertaining to both stand-alone and multimodal school-based social skills programs for students with ADHD, and to assess the effects of potential moderating variables.

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of studies between the years of 1975 and 2023 following the recommendations of the Cochrane Foundation and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

Seventeen studies, single-case, within group, and between-group designs met the established inclusion criteria, with 10 included in the meta-analysis. The findings revealed small to large effects; however, the overall meta-analytic effect size was negligible (ES = 0.09). The differences in social skills approaches, intensity, parent involvement, and setting did not moderate the effects.

These findings underscore the necessity for ongoing exploration and refinement of social skills interventions tailored for youth with ADHD.