ADHD Medications Help Kids in School
ADHD Medications Help Kids in School
Long-Term Academic Improvement Seen in Study
But she stresses that drug treatment is just one of many interventions that can make a difference in the academic performance of kids with ADHD.
White’s son, who is now 12, was diagnosed with ADHD in the second grade; her daughter, now 8, was diagnosed in first grade.
Both children take medication for the disorder, and both have shown improvements in the classroom.
“The drugs help, but they are not a cure-all,” she says. “Drugs are just one part of it.”
School-based interventions like seating children with ADHD closer to the teacher to keep their attention focused and giving them more time to complete assignments are also important, she says.
ADHD researcher Lily Hechtman, MD, of McGill University, says that although ADHD drugs can help children, many children with ADHD have learning issues that the drugs do not address.
“About 20% of children with attention deficit disorders also have very specific learning disabilities,” she says. “These children clearly need other interventions.”
Even children without specific learning disabilities who have fallen behind academically will need more than medication to catch up if they are diagnosed after years of struggle in the classroom, she says.
ADHD Medications Help Kids in School
Long-Term Academic Improvement Seen in Study
Many Kids With ADHD Have Other Issues continued...
But she stresses that drug treatment is just one of many interventions that can make a difference in the academic performance of kids with ADHD.
White’s son, who is now 12, was diagnosed with ADHD in the second grade; her daughter, now 8, was diagnosed in first grade.
Both children take medication for the disorder, and both have shown improvements in the classroom.
“The drugs help, but they are not a cure-all,” she says. “Drugs are just one part of it.”
School-based interventions like seating children with ADHD closer to the teacher to keep their attention focused and giving them more time to complete assignments are also important, she says.
ADHD researcher Lily Hechtman, MD, of McGill University, says that although ADHD drugs can help children, many children with ADHD have learning issues that the drugs do not address.
“About 20% of children with attention deficit disorders also have very specific learning disabilities,” she says. “These children clearly need other interventions.”
Even children without specific learning disabilities who have fallen behind academically will need more than medication to catch up if they are diagnosed after years of struggle in the classroom, she says.