US Department of Education Funded ADHD Interventions in School-aged Children
Timothy F. Page, PhD
Timothy F. Page, PhD, is a Professor and Director of Academic Affairs in the Department of Management in the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Page is currently a research team member on two projects funded by the US Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
Please tell us about your two awards that are related to early childhood and/or special education studies.
One of the projects is a collaboration with researchers from Seattle Children’s Hospital to test the efficacy of a peer-delivered intervention for high school students with ADHD. The other is a collaboration with faculty from Florida International University to test the efficacy of an intervention for school-aged children with ADHD who are classified as English Language Learners. My role on both projects is to conduct the economic evaluation to make the business case for the adoption of these programs by demonstrating the value of the outcomes to the children with ADHD, their parents, and the school districts relative to the cost to implement the programs. These are both multi-year awards, and both projects are in the data collection phase. The goal of both programs is to improve school performance by students with ADHD.
How are these efforts able to enhance the quality of life for children and families?
Our prior research has shown significantly inferior financial outcomes for young adults with childhood ADHD diagnosis, compared to those without ADHD. Medication during school-age years was not found to reduce disparities between these outcomes, which highlights the need for alternative approaches for improving school performance. The hope is that the programs will not only benefit the children with ADHD, but also provide benefits to their parents and the schools in terms of improved performance and reductions in disruptive behaviors.
How do these awards connect with your other work at NSU?
The main goal of my scholarship is to demonstrate the business case for investments in programs that improve the health of populations. My body of work includes economic evaluations of programs in the areas of chronic disease management, opioid abuse, fall prevention, exercise, home healthcare technology, pharmaceuticals, and medication adherence. I collaborate extensively with faculty nationwide in the areas of Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, and Pharmacy on projects estimating the economic burden of disease and approaches for reducing this burden.
How has NSU helped you pursue and/or achieve personal and professional goals you have set for yourself? NSU resources used?
NSU has provided the necessary pre- and post-award support for the grants.
What advice do you have for other grant/award seekers at NSU?
The saying is “You can’t win if you don’t play”. While grants, especially those from federal agencies, are extremely competitive, to be successful can require having to submit multiple applications before scoring in the fundable range. Grant writing is a skill that can be learned, so I encourage those interested in obtaining funding to avail themselves of the grant writing trainings provided within NSU and elsewhere.