ADHD Medication Helps Children Perform Better In School

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) not only benefit in the short term from medications taken to treat their condition, but may also benefit in the long term. There are more than 4 million children with diagnosed cases of ADHD in the United States, and approximately 60 percent take prescribed medication to treat their disorder. There is new evidence that shows children who take prescribed medications to treat ADHD, such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall, are benefiting from higher test scores during grade school than those children with ADHD who are not taking medication for their disorder.

Many children who have ADHD have problems in school, many times because the disorder leads to agitation, multiple daydreaming episodes, impulsive actions, being easily distracted, and constantly squirming and fidgeting. These symptoms lead to problems with concentration on schoolwork and taking tests. Children with ADHD tend to score lower on math and reading tests, have higher drop-out rates, and are often placed into special education classes. Research has proven previously that ADHD medications do help children suffering with the disorder and the benefits are noticed by improvements in short term-memory, performance in school, and completed homework. We now have new research that was published in the May issue of Pediatrics illustrating benefits of ADHD medication not only in children’s daily lives, but also by helping them to learn and retain knowledge gained in school, leading to higher test scores.

For the study, researchers used a sample of 594 children whose parents reported the children had been diagnosed with ADHD during the Childhood Longitudinal Study of Children, which followed the children from the time they entered kindergarten in 1998 until they reached fifth grade. Of the children selected from the Longitudinal Study, those who took ADHD medication scored higher than those who didn’t take medications. Medicated children scored 2.9 points higher on standardized math test and 5.4 points higher on reading tests, than children with ADHD and not taking medication. Even though the medication does seem to help children suffering from ADHD in their daily lives and with their academic futures they still are falling behind children who do not suffer from ADHD.

The lead researcher for the study, Richard Scheffler, a professor with the University of California Berkley’s School of Public Health said, “We’re not saying that all children with ADHD need to be on medication,” Scheffler added, “Drugs are not the answer by themselves. But it is clear that many minority and low-income children have less access to drug treatments.” There are other interventions in addition to medication that can help to improve school performance for children with ADHD, such as active parent and teacher involvement, seating the children closer to their teachers helping to keep their attention, allowing them more time to complete tasks, and tutoring.

Even though the new research indicates advantages of taking ADHD medication for children who are diagnosed with the disorder, the newly released study isn’t supporting that all children with ADHD be placed on medication. Each case should be reviewed by a doctor. According to Dr. Jon Shaw, director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Miami School of Medicine, “This well-designed research study substantiates what has been known clinically for many years, that children compromised by the symptoms of ADHD are handicapped in their school experiences and academic performance,” Shaw added, “Judicious use of appropriate medication for this neurobiological condition helps these children to be successful in school and in the academic arena.” However, researchers note that not all children will score higher on test scores as a result of medication. Currently there is a need for better access to ADHD medication for children in low-income and minorities, according to Sheffler.