Addressing ADHD in Children: Contemporary Treatment Strategies

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2026 | Viewed by 774

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Division of Child Study Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016-6402, USA
Interests: anxiety disorders; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children; behavioral problems in children; learning disorders in children; executive function

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Treatment research in youth Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders in the last 15 to 20 years has contributed to major advances in impacting the core symptoms as well as functional impairments in family and social relationships, executive functioning, and emotional regulation. Along with a number strides in medication treatment, substantial growth in treatment has occurred in psychosocial interventions and the use of non-medication interventions targeting alterations in brain activity. To provide an opportunity to gather summaries and updates on these varied means of altering the development in youth with ADHD, Brain Science is developing a Special Issue dedicated to covering these exciting investigations. The editors are seeking submissions that provide comprehensive reviews of clinical trials or new investigations in several broad areas: novel forms of parent education and advances in behavioral parent training; the state of science in addressing social functioning; approaches to enhance executive functioning in home and school situations; methods that address emotion and behavior regulation; and treatments that directly target brain activity. The Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive source that will serve as a reference for both researchers and clinicians. The editors aim to facilitate readers’ ability to incorporate recent advances in their clinical work or to build upon this work to create even more groundbreaking investigations.

Dr. Richard Gallagher
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorders)
  • children
  • adolescent
  • executive function deficits and treatment
  • functional impairments
  • psychosocial interventions
  • brain activity-targeted treatments

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 783 KB  
Review
Parental ADHD as a Mechanistic Barrier to Behavioral Parent Training Implementation: An Intergenerational Framework for Addressing Childhood ADHD
by Lauren M. Friedman, Gabrielle Fabrikant-Abzug and Lindsay C. Chromik
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(5), 495; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16050495 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 348
Abstract
Behavioral parent training (BPT) is a front-line psychosocial treatment for childhood ADHD, yet its real-world effectiveness is often constrained by parents’ ability to consistently implement learned strategies. Parental ADHD is a prevalent and mechanistically important factor shaping both parenting behavior and child treatment [...] Read more.
Behavioral parent training (BPT) is a front-line psychosocial treatment for childhood ADHD, yet its real-world effectiveness is often constrained by parents’ ability to consistently implement learned strategies. Parental ADHD is a prevalent and mechanistically important factor shaping both parenting behavior and child treatment response. Among parents with ADHD, deficits in executive functioning and emotion regulation, abilities essential for consistent and effective BPT implementation, often interfere with parents’ ability to apply learned strategies. Consequently, parental ADHD predicts reduced in-home skill use and attenuated child treatment gains, positioning it as a potentially critical, treatment-relevant risk factor. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on the intergenerational transmission of ADHD-related impairments, the impact of parental ADHD on parenting practices, and the role of parental ADHD as a moderator of BPT outcomes. We also examine existing approaches to addressing parental ADHD within the context of child BPT, including both pharmacological and psychosocial strategies, and evaluate their implications for parenting and child response. Building on this, we propose an intergenerational reconceptualization of psychosocial care for childhood ADHD in which parental functioning is routinely assessed and supported within BPT. Promising directions include integrating CBT-informed strategies to scaffold parents’ cognitive and regulatory processes, incorporating digital health tools that provide just-in-time guidance at the point of parenting performance, and tailoring BPT emphasis for families affected by multigenerational ADHD. Ultimately, embedding parent-focused supports within BPT may be essential for strengthening treatment impact, durability, and real-world effectiveness for many children and families. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing ADHD in Children: Contemporary Treatment Strategies)
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