Yes. OST is helpful for children whose organization, time management, and task planning difficulties are affecting their school performance, even without a formal diagnosis of ADHD.

During the intake process for OST, Dr. Palav collects information about the student through interview, questionnaires, and record review. This information helps her to understand how the student’s organization, time management, and task planning strengths and weaknesses are affecting school performance. Also, screening for emotional and behavioral concerns helps to identify any problems that might need to be treated separately. However, neuropsychological testing to measure intellectual, memory, attention, or academic skills is not a part of the OST intake process.

OST is specifically designed to develop a student’s organizational, time management, and task planning skills. As a result, he or she is better able to manage school assignments and earn better grades. In contrast, academic tutoring provides extra instruction and review in one or more school subjects. This is helpful when a student is struggling with specific content in a class, such as multiplication or reading.

OST is a structured program that consists of 20 sessions, each lasting approximately one hour. Research suggests that it is best if sessions are held twice a week, over a 10-12 week period. However, this might not be possible for all families. If weekly sessions are preferred, it may take slightly longer than 20 weeks to complete the entire program. Completion of the program also might be slightly quicker or slower depending on your child’s rate of progress.