Adapting an Empirical Clinic-Based Organizational Skills Training Program for Use in Schools: Iterative Development and Pilot Assessment

Effective organizational skills (e.g., time management, materials management, and task planning) are associated with academic success, yet some children struggle to gain these skills without intervention. While evidence-based organizational skills interventions for pediatric clinical populations exist, none target organizationally impaired general populations in a primary school setting. In Organizational Skills Training-School (OST-S), school professionals teach small groups of 4th-5th grade organizationally impaired elementary school students skills associated with tracking assignments, managing materials, time management, and planning. This open pilot study of 33 students examined: a. the feasibility of adapting and implementing an established clinic-based, individualized treatment (OST-C) to a group format in a school setting, b. the program's acceptability among children, parents, and school partners, and c. whether participating children improved in the same functional areas that OST-C positively influenced. Results indicated that we could adapt the intervention, school partners could implement it, and participants could accept it. Pre-post improvements in organizational skills (as rated by parents, teachers, and children), homework problems, and academic performance demonstrated the potential effectiveness of OST-S, suggesting the need for further efficacy work.