The Lehigh University Research Translation AcceLUrator (RTA), supported in part by a National Science Foundation Accelerating Research Translation grant, has licensed its first seed translational research project to Scalable Care, a move that will expand access to an evidence-based behavioral parent training program for families of young children with, or at-risk for, ADHD.
The program Promoting Engagement with ADHD Pre-Kindergartners, or PEAK, was developed by Lehigh College of Education researchers George DuPaul and Lee Kern to expand access to evidence-based behavioral support for families of young children with ADHD symptoms. PEAK is a proven program in a flexible 10-session format, available on-demand online.
Despite data that reveals that approximately 2.4% of preschool age children and 10% of school-age children in the U.S. receive a diagnosis of ADHD, with many more thought to be going undiagnosed, early intervention has been a previously overlooked area of ADHD research and treatment. Children with ADHD often show behavioral, social, and academic difficulties before they even reach kindergarten. Behavioral parent training is considered the recommended first-line treatment for young children with ADHD, but cost, clinician shortages, scheduling conflicts, and stigma keep most families from ever receiving it. Designed with input from parents and educators, PEAK was built to close that gap by offering a low-cost, scalable alternative to in-person behavioral parent education.
"We've been working for the past couple of decades on developing an online version of behavioral parent education for caregivers of young kids who might have ADHD," said George DuPaul, professor at Lehigh University and co-developer of PEAK.
The RTA has supported Kern and DuPaul's path to commercialization through coaching and mentorship, education and training, and access to expert support, helping them navigate the steps needed to move PEAK from academia into a licensed, market-ready program.
"The RTA really supported us and gave us the skills to get our intervention out into the public. Now we are working with Scalable Care and their team to move it toward commercialization," said Lee Kern, professor at Lehigh University, RTA co-PI, and co-developer of PEAK.
Through a new licensing deal with Scalable Care, PEAK is moving its evidence-based parent training program beyond the research setting and toward broader community access. The program is the first of its kind as a resource for families of younger children displaying signs of ADHD, and will be available by early 2027.
"George DuPaul and Lee Kern built a program that works for families, grounded in twenty years of research. Together, we are putting PEAK on a consumer-friendly platform that reaches the families who need it most, advancing our mission to transition proven research into widespread use," said Allen Billings, CEO at Scalable Care.
About the Research Translation AcceLUrator The Research Translation AcceLUrator at Lehigh University helps move university research out of the lab and into the real-world, partly supported by a National Science Foundation Accelerating Research Translation grant. Engage with our community at researchtranslationaccelurator.lehigh.edu
About Scalable Care
Scalable Care builds the infrastructure that carries validated digital health interventions from research into widespread practice. Founded in 2018 and based in San Francisco, the company works with research institutions, health systems, and government health programs to deliver evidence-based programs at population scale. www.scalable.care