A Randomized Trial of Interventions for Teenage Drivers With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

There is clear, converging evidence from multiple prospective studies with well-diagnosed
adolescents with ADHD and comparison, non-ADHD adolescents, that teen drivers with ADHD have
more accidents and other adverse driving outcomes. Available research indicates parental
monitoring and limit-setting for adolescent drivers is one of the most effective
interventions for preventing negative driving outcomes. For children with ADHD,
interventions to promote parenting capacity to effectively oversee and intervene in teen
driving will likely need to be intensive and require multiple treatment components. The
present proposal aims to compare the standard care for teen drivers (driver's education
classes and driving practice) to the Supporting a Teen's Effective Entry to the Roadway
(STEER) program, that includes a parent-teen intervention, adolescent skill building, parent
training on effective adolescent management strategies, joint parent-teen negotiations
sessions, practice on a driving simulator, parental monitoring of objective driving
behaviors, and the targeting of safe teen driving via contingency management strategies
(i.e., parent-teen contracts). To facilitate teen and parent engagement the intervention
will be preceded by a motivational interview. The specific aims of the proposal are to
investigate the efficacy of the STEER program relative to a standard care group in a
randomized clinical trial (N=172) on measures of objective driving outcome and parenting
capacity. It is hypothesized that the STEER program will result in improved outcomes
relative to the standard care group at the end of intervention and 6 and 12 month follow-up
assessments.