ADHD and Everyday Participation: Research and Occupational Therapy

Looking Beyond Attention to Everyday Functioning

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ADHD can affect many parts of daily life. Alongside attention and activity-level differences, some individuals experience difficulties with task initiation, organization, time management, remembering responsibilities, emotional regulation, and following through on plans.

These challenges may appear during homework, morning routines, household responsibilities, social activities, employment, or the transition to greater independence. Their impact varies from person to person and can change depending on the activity and environment.

Occupational therapy (OT) helps people with ADHD address challenges that affect everyday activities and participation. An occupational therapist considers where difficulties arise in daily life and identifies individualized strategies to support follow-through, performance, and independence. OT can complement medical care, psychological treatment, educational supports, and other services.

What Does Occupational Therapy Address in ADHD?

OT focuses on the activities people need and want to do. For individuals with ADHD, this may involve understanding why particular responsibilities are difficult and identifying practical changes that make successful participation more likely.

The goal is not simply to teach strategies in isolation, but to help individuals use approaches that work in the activities and situations that matter to them.

What Does the Research Explore?

Adamou, M., Asherson, P., Arif, M., Buckenham, L., Cubbin, S., Dancza, K., Gorman, K., Gudjonsson, G., Gutman, S., Kustow, J., Mabbott, K., May-Benson, T., Muller-Sedgwick, U., Pell, E., Pitts, M., Rastrick, S., Sedgwick, J., Smith, K., Taylor, C., Thompson, L., … Young, S. (2021). Recommendations for occupational therapy interventions for adults with ADHD: a consensus statement from the UK adult ADHD network. BMC psychiatry, 21(1), 72.

This consensus statement outlines recommendations for occupational therapy with adults with ADHD. It proposes areas for occupational assessment and intervention, with examples of ways OTs may address challenges in everyday life.

Budman J, Maeir A, Velder-Shukrun I, Zaguri-Vittenberg S. Effectiveness of the Cognitive–Functional Intervention for Adults (Cog–Fun A) in Assessing ADHD: A Retrospective Case Series. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2025;79(4):820-829. doi:10.5014/ajot.2025.051045


What the research explores: This retrospective case series examined the Cognitive–Functional Intervention for Adults (Cog–Fun–A), an occupation-based intervention designed to address the everyday challenges associated with ADHD. Because the study used a retrospective case-series design, the findings are promising but do not establish that the intervention alone caused the improvements.

Ek, A., & Isaksson, G. (2013). How adults with ADHD get engaged in and perform everyday activities. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy, 20(4), 282–291. https://doi.org/10.3109/11038128.2013.799226


This qualitative study examined how 12 adults with ADHD experienced and carried out everyday activities. Participants described the importance of inspiration, helpful supports, and connection with other people in their engagement and performance.

Gutman, S. A., Balasubramanian, S., Herzog, M., Kim, E., Swirnow, H., Retig, Y., & Wolff, S. (2020). Effectiveness of a Tailored Intervention for Women With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and ADHD Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Study. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 74(1), 7401205010p1–7401205010p11. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.033316

This randomized controlled study examined a seven-week, individualized, occupation-based intervention addressing routines, organization, time management, stress management, and sensory regulation. Compared with the control group, participants receiving the intervention showed improvements in perceived stress, ADHD symptoms, and perceived performance and satisfaction with daily activities. The small sample limits how broadly the findings can be generalized.

Author note: Hannah Swirnow, OTR/L, co-authored this study.

Hahn-Markowitz J, Berger I, Manor I, Maeir A. Impact of the Cognitive–Functional (Cog–Fun) Intervention on Executive Functions and Participation Among Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2017;71(5):717-726. doi:10.5014/ajot.2017.022053

What the research explores: This randomized controlled crossover trial examined the effects of the Cognitive–Functional (Cog–Fun) occupational therapy intervention on executive functions and participation among children ages 7–10 with ADHD. The study reported significant improvements in executive-function ratings and in children's perceived performance and satisfaction with everyday activities.

Jurek, L., Duchier, A., Gauld, C., Henault, L., Giroudon, C., Fourneret, P., Cortese, S., & Nourredine, M. (2025). Sensory Processing in Individuals With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Compared to Control Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2025.02.019


This systematic review and meta-analysis found differences in sensory sensitivity, sensory avoiding, low sensory registration, and sensory seeking among individuals with ADHD compared with control populations. Results varied across studies, and the findings do not mean that every person with ADHD has sensory processing differences..

Reynolds S, Lane SJ. Sensory overresponsivity and anxiety in children with ADHD. Am J Occup Ther. 2009 Jul-Aug;63(4):433-40. doi: 10.5014/ajot.63.4.433. PMID: 19708472.

This study examined the relationship between sensory overresponsivity and anxiety in children with ADHD. Children with ADHD and sensory overresponsivity had higher anxiety scores than both comparison groups, indicating an association between these features rather than demonstrating that one causes the other.

Văidan, T., Dobrean, A., Predescu, E., et al. (2026). Meta-analysis: Parenting children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder compared to healthy controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 65, 1232–1260.

This meta-analysis compares aspects of parenting among families of children and adolescents with ADHD and families of children without ADHD. It contributes to a broader understanding of parenting experiences in the context of ADHD.

Yitzhak N, Cohen M, Traub Bar-Ilan R, Maeir A, Eldar E, Nahum M. The Emotional Pendulum in ADHD: Insights From Ecological Momentary Assessment of Emotional States in Young Adults. Behav Ther. 2025 Sep;56(5):964-978. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2025.03.004. Epub 2025 Mar 13. PMID: 40849121

This study found greater emotional variability among young adults with ADHD than among young adults without ADHD, but no significant group difference in emotional lability. The findings suggest that emotional dysregulation may involve a broader range of emotional experiences, not simply more frequent or rapid emotional shifts.

How This Research Informs Our Approach

At Center Ring Therapy, we consider how ADHD affects the activities and responsibilities that matter to each individual. We look at what makes tasks difficult, what supports are already helpful, and how strategies can be adapted to real-life situations.

Our approach may include addressing executive functioning, emotional regulation, sensory needs when relevant, routines, and environmental supports. For parents, this may also involve understanding how to support a child's growing abilities without taking over responsibilities the child is ready to practice.

The goal is to connect understanding with action: developing individualized strategies that support participation, confidence, and greater independence across home, school, work, and community life.

Related Resources

  • Occupational therapy can address functional challenges associated with ADHD, including difficulties with routines, task completion, sensory and emotional regulation, organization, and participation in everyday activities.

  • OT generally addresses the functional effects of ADHD rather than eliminating the underlying condition. Depending on the goals, OT may help an individual manage daily activities, participate more successfully, and develop greater independence.

  • No. Depending on the clinician's training and the individual's needs, OT may address executive functioning, task performance, routines, environmental demands, self-management, and everyday participation. Sensory-related intervention is only one possible area of practice.

  • Tutoring primarily addresses academic learning, while executive function coaching often emphasizes planning and strategy use. OT considers how a person's abilities, activities, and environments interact to affect daily performance. The services can overlap and may complement one another.

Understanding the Evidence

The research on this page includes consensus recommendations, qualitative research, systematic reviews, a meta-analysis, observational research, and intervention studies. These sources provide different kinds of evidence.

Some studies directly examine occupational therapy interventions, while others explore experiences, associations, or broader aspects of ADHD. Findings from one population or intervention should not automatically be generalized to every individual with ADHD or interpreted as evidence for a particular service.

We consider research in the context of the populations studied, the outcomes measured, and the limitations of the evidence. Individual care decisions should reflect each person's needs, goals, and circumstances.

This page was last reviewed by Hannah Swirnow, OTR/L, in 2026.