ADHD Kids At Risk of Poor School Outcomes, Meds Can Help

Children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) face poorer academic outcomes than kids without ADD, reports a new study.

A recent study has found that kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to face poor long-term academic outcomes than those without ADHD. Researchers examined the complete school records, from birth through age 18, of more than 1,100 children, with and without ADHD. Students with ADHD scored nearly 30 points lower on reading tests and were three times more likely to repeat a grade level during their schooling. They were also almost three times as likely to drop out before their high school graduation.

The findings highlight the continuing need for both an appropriate treatment plan to manage ADHD and for adequate, long-term school interventions to ensure success in the classroom and beyond.

A companion study by the researchers found that a long-term and appropriate ADHD treatment plan including stimulant medication, such as Ritalin, Adderall, or Concerta, helped improve the ADHD children’s school outcomes. In the study, the children treated with stimulants typically began taking medication in elementary school and continued to be treated for about three years.

Both studies are detailed in the August Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.