Robert J. Volpe, Ph.D.

I am Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology here at Northeastern University.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common child psychiatric disorder. The symptoms appear early in life and persist into adolescence and adulthood for many of those affected. ADHD frequently is associated with academic skills deficits, and children with the disorder are more likely than their typically developing peers to be retained in grade, receive special education, and drop out of high school. Both academic and behavior problems become more difficult to remediate after children reach third grade. Moreover, early behavior and academic problems may give root to delinquency. Hence, early identification and intervention in these areas are critical. The importance of this is magnified in urban school settings where student diversity, poverty, limitations on space and resources may compound the impact of these difficulties.

My research focuses on the development and evaluation of methods of assessment and intervention for students with ADHD (or other behavior problems) that are feasible for use in public schools, and are acceptable and sustainable in urban school settings.

If you are interested in any of these areas, please look into the activities of the Behavior Disorders Research Team.