Interventions for Transitioning Adolescents with ADHD to Emerging Adulthood: Developmental Context and Empirically-Supported Treatment Principles

ABSTRACTThe developmental transition between adolescence to emerging adulthood (ages 18–25) is a critical juncture—particularly for individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, there are no known published studies on treatments for ADHD that aim to improve the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. We sought to facilitate future transition intervention research and provide empirically-supported treatment principles and corresponding targets for clinicians with this manuscript. We review two key areas of research to inform transition planning interventions for adolescents with ADHD: (a) domains of impairment (e.g., occupational, social) within the developmental context of the transition to emerging adulthood and (b) existing treatment research on interventions for adolescents and adults with ADHD. After evaluating and synthesizing these areas of research, we highlight and discuss targets for treatment that are promising for addressing the unique needs of adolescent...