A procedure to teach self-control to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The team worked with children who have ADHD. Each child started by picking a small reward right away. The researchers then stretched the wait time for a bigger reward. While kids waited, they said short verbal tasks out loud. This mix of longer waits plus talking activities is called progressive delay with verbal mediation.

The study used single-case design. Each child served as their own control. The goal was to see if kids would learn to wait for better payoffs.

Every child switched from impulsive picks to self-controlled picks. They began choosing the bigger, later reward after training. The verbal tasks during the wait seemed to help them hang on. Gains showed up quickly and held steady across sessions.

Cullinan et al. (2001) ran a close cousin study. They also stretched wait times for kids with ADHD. Instead of verbal tasks, they kept the rate or quality of rewards high. Kids in both studies learned to wait, but A et al. pushed delays up to 24 hours. The two papers agree: gradual delay plus an active filler builds self-control.

Fox et al. (2001) took the same delay-plus-task idea to children with autism. Kids tolerated longer waits and showed less problem behavior. The method travels well across diagnoses.

Staubitz et al. (2020) tried the same core plan with students who have emotional and behavioral disorders. Pure delay training failed for half the class. Adding a clear rule and rationale rescued three more kids. The mixed results warn us that some groups may need extra supports beyond just stretching the wait.

You can copy this setup in one afternoon. Start with a tiny wait and a simple verbal task like counting or naming colors. Lengthen the wait bit by bit while the child keeps talking. Most kids with ADHD will shift to picking the bigger, later reward after a few sessions. If you work with students who have more complex behavior profiles, add a posted rule and explain why waiting pays off. Either way, you give the child a practical skill they can use in classrooms, homes, and peer interactions.