New program aims to break down barriers to ADHD care for kids
NCT ID NCT05796427
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a program called START that helps families of children with ADHD learn about the condition, reduce stigma, and overcome obstacles to getting care. About 106 children aged 6-12 with a new or recent ADHD diagnosis will take part. Some families get the START program, while others receive a pamphlet. The goal is to see if START improves access to treatment and helps children function better at home, school, and with friends.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- behavioral intervention (START program)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help more families get their children with ADHD into treatment and improve daily life at home and school.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with 106 participants. The intervention is behavioral, not a drug, so effects may be modest and may not apply to all families.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
100 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jul 2023
- Finished
-
Nov 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
6 to 12 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * The child is greater than or equal to 6 years old and less than or equal to 12 years old * The child has a diagnosis of ADHD confirmed based on clinical psychiatric evaluation with an expert child psychiatrist on the study team (PI or Co-I) * The diagnosis of ADHD is either new (defined as made for the first time by the study psychiatrist OR made for the first time within the prior 3 months by a medical or mental health provider) OR the child has been previously diagnosed but untreated either since diagnosis or for at least the prior 12 months. "Untreated" is defined as having received no therapeutic, medication, or school accommodations specifically for ADHD. * They can understand and complete informed consent and study procedures in English. * Children who have received treatment for other psychiatric conditions may be included if the treatment was specifically for a condition other than ADHD, to be confirmed by the study psychiatrist at enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Children with most comorbid (i.e., co-existing) psychiatric conditions with be included, but children with intellectual disability/cognitive impairment or psychotic symptoms will be excluded because these conditions would substantially change the focus of treatment * Children under 6 and over 12 will be excluded because the intervention was specifically designed for school age children in this age group. Developmental, adolescents and preschoolers are considerably different than school age children and may require a different approach for engaging them and their parents in ADHD care. Children under 6 with ADHD symptoms may not yet be diagnosed and may not have the same treatment access or options as children 6 and over. Adolescents over 12 are more independent and an intervention may need to be more focused on the adolescent than our current intervention which is primarily parent focused. * Children who were diagnosed over 3 months ago and already received treatment for ADHD will be excluded since our primary outcome is treatment engagement. * Because this is an intervention only available in English at this time, participants who are not able to complete study procedures in English will be excluded.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for ADHD are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can treating Mom's ADHD help her Child's symptoms?
- Can meal timing reset ADHD symptoms and sleep?
- Can a personalized mix of nerve stimulation and therapy rewire the brain for better mental health?
- Scientists map the hidden effort strategies behind ADHD
- Can a computer help pick the right ADHD medicine for your child?
- Can hormone cycles explain ADHD symptoms in teen girls?