Exploring the Use of the Check & Connect Program as a Behavioral Intervention for Students with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Student engagement is critical to the overall academic and behavioral well-being of a child in school. When working with students who have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it is important for students to understand that, even though it may be more difficult for them to complete certain tasks or follow certain rules, they can be engaged and successful. Check & Connect is a research-based intervention which involves developing a strong, positive relationship between a student and a trained mentor (University of Minnesota, 2013). A single subject design using a non-concurrent multiple baseline across students’ was employed to determine the effect of a Check & Connect program on appropriate classroom behaviors for four 2nd grade students who had a medical diagnosis of ADHD. The behaviors that were addressed included remaining on-task, following directions and completing assignments throughout the school day. Each student had the opportunity to complete a daily checklist and earn up to eight or ten points per day for assignment completion and on-task behavior depending on the schedule of the classroom. Based on the results of this study, the implementation of the “Check & Connect” program yielded positive results for three of the four students who participated