Since the 1960s, doctors, teachers, and parents have been convince that stimulant medication helps children with ADHD to learn because they can concentrate and behave better.
After all, an estimated 6.1 million children in the U.S. are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and more than 90% are prescribe stimulant medication as the primary form of treatment in school settings.
In a peer-reviewed study, which I and several colleagues published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, we found that medication had no discernible effect on the amount of learning children with ADHD did in the classroom. It’s true, at least when the learning of performable skills and knowledge is measure by tests that assess the improvement in a student’s current academic understanding over time.
Receive lower grades, and perform worse on tests. Children with ADHD are more likely to receive special education services, to be retain for a particular stage, and not to finish high school or enter college. These two milestones are link to significant increases in earnings.
Adults with a history of ADHD may have difficulty keeping a job.
Measures of learning! ADHD Medication
In this study, funded through the National Institute of Mental Health, we evaluated 173 kids between 7 and 12 years old. All of them were participants in the Summer Program. This is a comprehensive 8-week summer program for children with ADHD and related emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges.
Children got grade-level instruction in vocabulary, science, and social studies. Classes were taught by teachers who were certify. Children were give medication during the first half of the summer and placebos for the second half. The children were test before each block of academic instruction last about three weeks. The same test was give at the end of each academic block to measure how much the students had learned.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, which parents and educators have long followed, we found that children learn the same amount regarding science, social studies, and vocabulary, whether they are taking a medication or a dummy pill.
Yes. This discovery also shocked us.
ADHD children can’t learn with just medication.
Numerous published studies have shown that medication can help children concentrate and behave better at school. It was believe that if stimulant medications help a child focus on their schoolwork, improve their behavior and stay on task in class, then they would also enhance their learning.
As expected, in our study, children who took medication completed more schoolwork and improved their classroom behavior. Children who took pills completed 37% more math problems per minute and committed 53% fewer classroom rule violations each hour.
Unfortunately, more homework and better classroom behavior did not result in higher test scores, which are significant factor for overall class grades. These findings support other research that found no benefit of long-term medication on test scores.
The majority of children with ADHD receive stimulant medications. This is a significant finding, as stimulant medications are the treatment most commonly use. The other treatments for ADHD children include behavioral therapy, training for parents, and a combination of therapy and medication.
A new understanding
My research lab published nearly 40 years ago the first study examining the effects of stimulant medications on the learning abilities of children with ADHD. We measured how well children performed on worksheets and how they behaved within the classroom.
My lab researchers found that children who were medicate behaved and focused better. We assumed the medication was helping them to learn more. Since then, stimulant medication has been commonly use treatment for ADHD.
Has learned a great deal about the best treatments for ADHD children after publishing over 500 scientific studies in the last 40+ years.
ADHD is a condition that children cannot outgrow! ADHD Medication
The National Institute of Mental Health’s most recent long-running study revealed that adults with a childhood history of ADHD are expect to earn US$1.25M less over their lifetime than adults without such a history. They could retire with as little as 75% less net worth.
We found that ADHD patients were worse off in almost every area of their financial and work life. Income, savings, employment, and dependency on parents or other adult caregivers were include.
Nearly half the adults with ADHD received money regularly from their parents, other adults, or the government.
For those with ADHD, educational interventions and supports that encourage them to finish high school or earn a bachelor’s degree can help improve their long-term financial outcome and reduce their dependence on the government and parents.
We don’t yet know if the findings of our study would apply to adults or adolescents with ADHD, as we studied children aged 7-12. Children’s learning styles change as they age. Adolescents and young adults learn more from independent study than classroom instruction. It’s, therefore, essential to find out if the medication can help with learning outside of the classroom.
What to do for children with ADHD ? ADHD Medication
Children can improve their academic performance without medication by using classroom management tools. Parent training and classroom management tools, such as a Daily Report Card, are among the behavioral and educational strategies which can help youth with ADHD. Children with ADHD may also benefit from behavioral services that focus on academic success, like 504 or Individualized Education Plans for special education students.
Our previous research found that behavioral treatment – used as a first-line treatment – was more affordable and effective in treating ADHD children. Stimulants work best as a second-line, supplemental treatment for those with ADHD who require it. They should be prescribe at lower dosages. In other words, medications should only be prescribe if the child still needs additional support, even after behavioral and academic interventions.
In 2020, the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics will publish new guidelines which strongly recommend behavioral intervention for children with ADHD and medication if needed.
While it is true that medications can help with focus and behavior, behavioral and academic strategies are also effective in the classroom. Just because a student seems more focused or behaves better in class doesn’t guarantee that they will receive better grades. We have repeatedly found that behavioral interventions are the best option for children with ADHD, as they learn strategies and skills to help them succeed in school, at home, and even in their relationships.
In order to give ADHD children the best chance of thriving, I think families, medical professionals, and educators should first focus on behavioral and educational interventions and only add medication if necessary.
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