Can an eHealth program help teachers support kids with ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities?
NCT ID NCT02919215
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested an online program called Teacher Help, designed to train teachers in evidence-based strategies for students with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or learning disabilities. Teachers worked through six online sessions with support from school psychologists. The goal was to see if the program improved student behavior and quality of life. The study was terminated early and included only 34 participants, so results are limited.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Teacher Help Intervention (online training program for teachers)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a scalable, evidence-based tool to help teachers better support students with neurodevelopmental disorders in regular classrooms.
- What could go wrong
- The study was terminated early with only 34 participants, so results are limited. It is a pre-post design without a control group, making it hard to know if improvements are due to the program or other factors.
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
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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
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34 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2018
- Finished
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Sep 2019
- Lead sponsor
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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
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6 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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.
Potential school psychologists must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate in this study: 1. Are licenced/registered psychologists OR are psychological associates OR are certified school psychologists OR are on the candidate register 2. Work within or for a public-school system within Canada 3. Have the ability to recruit a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 12 classroom teachers who teach grades 1-12 to participate (some flexibility available). A student of each teacher and his/her parents need to agree to participate as well. 4. Willing to provide support to teachers during the implementation of the Teacher Help program (approximate maximum of 30 minutes/week overall) Exclusion Criteria for Collaborating School Psychologists Potential psychologists who meet any of the following criteria are not eligible to participate in the study: 1. Are planning to be on a leave of absence at any time during the duration of the study 2. Work within a school system where there is no English instruction Inclusion Criteria for Teachers Potential teachers must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate in this study: 1. Work in a regular classroom setting in the public-school system in grades 1-12 with English as the language of instruction 2. Currently have one student in their classroom with ADHD, LD, or ASD who they would like to help by using this program 3. The parent and student have agreed to participate Exclusion Criteria for Teachers Potential teachers who meet any of the following criteria are not eligible to participate in the study: 1. The teacher participated in any of the previous Teacher Help studies 2. Plan to be on a leave of absence at any time during the duration of this study Inclusion Criteria for Families (i.e., parents and students) Potential families (i.e., parents and students) must meet the following criteria to be eligible for this study. Specifically, we are looking for families where: 1. The child attends public school in the English stream grades 1 to 12 2. The child has been diagnosed with ADHD, LD or ASD. a. For students with ADHD or ASD, the child will need to have been diagnosed by a physician or psychologist. For students with LD, the child will need to have been diagnosed by a psychologist. Documentation on the student's file should indicate this diagnosis. We will not ask for this documentation, but request that the collaborating school psychologist confirms that this documentation exists and to indicate when the diagnosis was made and by what type of health professional (e.g., physician, psychologist) 3. The child spends at least two-thirds of their class time inside the typical classroom (i.e., no more than one-third of class time is spent in a special education setting) 4. The student is either on a stable dose of medication for the specific NDD or no medication with no plan to start/change medication for the next 5 months Exclusion Criteria for Families (i.e., parents and students) Potential families that meet any of the following criteria are not eligible to participate in the study. Specifically, families where: 1. The student's primary diagnosis is not ADHD, LD, or ASD (i.e., it is not the diagnosis that is causing the most negative impact in the school context) 2. The student is on an Individualized Program Plan (IPP)/Individual Education Plan (IEP) and/or Alternative Program Plan due to significant physical, behavioural, communication, or cognitive difficulties and as such require significant teaching/educational assistant involvement or time spent in specialized learning environments
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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
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Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 2R1, Canada
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