Super Epic Goals is built on a small number of well-replicated findings - drawn from education, child psychology, autism and ADHD research. The same handful of mechanisms keep showing up across every kind of child. Some of those mechanisms matter even more for neurodivergent kids; we’ll show you which.
In a study of 328 students, 69% met their reading growth goals after a teacher-led goal-setting program - a 15% relative improvement over the 60% baseline. Goal-setting isn’t a special-education tool. It’s a fundamental of how kids learn.
These findings aren’t diagnosis-specific - they apply to every child. Writing goals down, breaking them into steps, and tracking progress consistently all measurably change outcomes.
In a study of 328 students, 69% met their reading growth goals after a teacher-led goal-setting program - a 15% relative improvement over the 60% baseline.
📄 Read the paper →A study of youth in residential care found goal-setting and resilience were strongly positively correlated (r = 0.631, p < 0.01).
📄 Read the paper →Children with autism and ADHD face specific challenges around executive function, attention, and motivation. The studies below show why visual, frequent, predictable reinforcement isn’t a nice-to-have for these kids - it’s the active ingredient.
A 2022 meta-analysis of parent-implemented interventions for children with autism found a medium-to-large effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.553) in favour of parent-led approaches compared to control groups.
A token economy cut behavioural problems by ~52% in school-aged children with ADHD - evidence that structured rewards change behaviour.
📄 Read the paper →In a single case study, one child’s sustained attention went from 5 minutes to 13 minutes in two weeks using a simple token reward schedule.
📄 Read the paper →In a small pilot study of three children with ADHD, the token-economy intervention reduced disruptive behaviour more effectively than stimulant medication for 2 of 3 participants.
📄 Read the paper →Behavioural and educational interventions - including reward-based systems - achieve 20% to 86% reductions in ADHD symptom scores.
📄 Read the paper →A system where a child earns a small token (a sticker, a star) for a target behaviour, then trades them for a bigger reward. Works for every kind of kid; particularly powerful for ADHD.
The mental skills that help with planning, focusing, remembering instructions, and juggling multiple tasks. Often what feels 'hard' for kids with ADHD or autism.
Praising the effort, strategy or persistence ("you kept trying") rather than the ability or outcome ("you're smart"). The first builds resilience; the second can quietly undermine it.
A therapy strategy that the parent carries out at home, day to day. Strongly evidenced for autism; the same logic helps every child.
Neurotypical describes the typical pattern of brain development. Neurodivergent covers autism, ADHD, dyslexia and similar variations. The mechanics are the same; the dosage differs.
In Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme funds supports for many neurodivergent kids. We design the app so progress data is easy to share with your NDIS team.
Start with a single goal - the research suggests that’s the right place to begin anyway, for any child.