KickMint is conservative on what it claims. We use "supports," "is associated with," and "may help." We do not say "treats," "cures," or "fixes." That posture matches the medical disclaimer at /medical-disclaimer.
Initiation, not organization
ADHD task initiation, also called the intention-action gap, is the dominant functional impairment in adult ADHD. It is not solved by better lists.
- Barkley, R. A. (2012). Executive functions: What they are, how they work, and why they evolved. Guilford Press.
- Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S. (2003). The dual pathway model of AD/HD. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 27(7), 593-604.
Product link: Focus tab shows one task at a time. The Start button is the only primary CTA on the screen.
Implementation intentions, the breakdown engine
- Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493-503.
- Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69-119. Meta-analysis across 94 studies, mean d = 0.65.
Product link: Break it down. Steps 2 to 5 are structured as if-then plans when context allows.
Physical-first first action
- Brown, T. E. (2013). A new understanding of ADHD in children and adults: Executive function impairments. Routledge.
- Sibley, M. H., et al. (2021). Variable patterns of remission in adult ADHD. American Journal of Psychiatry.
Product link: the verb allowlist enforces that the first step in every breakdown begins with a body verb (Open, Walk to, Pick up, Place, Press, Find, Get, Sit, Stand, Type, Write). The allowlist lives in iosApp/Sources/AI/BreakdownParser.swift.
Time blindness
- Weissenberger, S., et al. (2021). Time perception is a focal symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults. Medical Science Monitor, 27, e933766.
- Toplak, M. E., & Tannock, R. (2005). Time perception in ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33(5), 639-654.
Product link: Daily Routine Markers (ambient external scaffolding, no countdown). Focus session ring counts up, not down.
Shame and RSD
- Newark, P. E., & Stieglitz, R. D. (2010). Therapy-relevant factors in adult ADHD from a cognitive behavioural perspective. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 2(2), 59-72.
- Bedrossian, L. (2021). Understanding rejection sensitive dysphoria and supporting students in the higher education learning environment. Disability Compliance for Higher Education, 26(10).
- Dodson, W. (ADDitude clinical commentary, used as design constraint, not as treatment claim).
Product link: no streaks, no overdue badges, no missed-day notifications. Welcome Back copy: "Good to see you. Want to start fresh?"
4-7-8 breathing protocol
- Weil, A. (drweil.com). Prescribes 4 cycles per session for beginners.
- Aktas, G. K., et al. (2019). Effects of 4-7-8 breathing exercise on anxiety in nursing students. Holistic Nursing Practice.
- Magnon, V., et al. (2021). Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety. Scientific Reports, 11.
Product link: Breathing Space (panic button) walks the user through 4 cycles with a visible Round counter. 76 second runtime.
Energy-aware sizing
- Kofler, M. J., et al. (2018). Working memory and intraindividual variability as neurocognitive indicators in ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47, 273-286.
- Knouse, L. E., & Safren, S. A. (2010). Current status of cognitive behavioral therapy for adult ADHD. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 33(3), 497-509.
Product link: morning energy check-in feeds Pick One; AdaptiveBreakdownSizer trims step count on light-demand days.
Cycle phase aware sizing (optional, Pro)
- Roberts, B., et al. (2018). Premenstrual exacerbation of ADHD symptoms. International Journal of Women's Mental Health.
- De Vries, F. E., et al. (2021). Menstrual cycle effects on the executive function of ADHD women. Hormones and Behavior, 132.
Product link: cycle phase tracker (opt-in) lowers default breakdown step count by one during luteal phase.
Body doubling, async substitute
- Eddy, L. D., et al. (2017). The role of behavioral parent training for adult ADHD. ADHD coaching literature.
- Fleming, A. P., & McMahon, R. J. (2012). Developmental context and treatment principles for ADHD among college students. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 15(4), 303-329.
Product link: Pick One + Focus Session + Stuck Recovery together form an async substitute for live body doubling.
AuDHD and PDA
- Antshel, K. M., et al. (2016). The comorbidity of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 16(3), 279-293.
- Hours, C., Recasens, C., & Baleyte, J. M. (2022). ASD and ADHD comorbidity. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13.
- O'Nions, E., et al. (2018). Identifying features of pathological demand avoidance. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(4), 407-419.
- Newson, E., et al. (2003). Pathological demand avoidance syndrome. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 88(7), 595-600.
Product link: PDA-aware prompt tone (opt-in), Stealth mode, Novelty rotation.
Limits we are explicit about
KickMint is not, and does not pretend to be:
- A medical device.
- A diagnostic tool.
- A replacement for ADHD medication, therapy, coaching, or an ADHD-aware clinician.
- A substitute for behavioral therapy techniques such as CBT-for-ADHD, which has substantially more evidence than any app can claim.
The medical disclaimer is at /medical-disclaimer. The privacy policy is at /privacy. The terms are at /terms.
How we update this page
When we add a feature with a research basis, we add the citation here in the same submission. When a paper is retracted or superseded, we update the entry and note the date. We do not cherry-pick; if the evidence for a feature weakens, we say so and revisit the feature.