Long thought to be the key to academic success, medication doesn't help kids with ADHD learn

MIAMI, May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For decades, most physicians, parents and teachers have believed that stimulant medications help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) learn. However, in the first study of its kind, researchers at the Center for Children and Families (CCF) at FIU found medication has no detectable impact on how much children with ADHD learn in the classroom.

Approximately ten percent of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD and more than 90 percent of them are prescribed stimulant medication as the main form of treatment in school settings because most physicians believe that medication will result in better academic achievement.

"Physicians and educators have held the belief that medication helps children with ADHD learn because they complete more seatwork and spend more time on-task when medicated," said William E. Pelham, Jr., senior author of the study and director at CCF. "Unfortunately, we found that medication had no impact on learning of actual curriculum content."

Researchers evaluated 173 children between the ages of 7 and 12 with ADHD participating in the center's Summer Treatment Program.

Children completed two consecutive phases of daily, 25-minute instruction in vocabulary and subject-area content (science and social studies) at their determined grade level. Certified teachers taught the material to groups of 10-14 children in a classroom setting.

Each child was randomized to be medicated with a sustained-release stimulant medication during either the first or second of the instructional phases, receiving a placebo during the other.

Contrary to expectations, researchers found that children learned the same amount whether they were taking medication or placebo.

While medication did not improve learning, the study showed that medication helped children complete more seatwork and improve their classroom behavior, as expected. When taking medication, children completed 37 percent more arithmetic problems per minute and committed 53 percent fewer classroom rule violations per hour.

Additionally, consistent with previous studies, researchers found that medication slightly helped to improve test scores when medication is taken on the day of a test, but not enough to boost most children's grades.

Poor academic achievement is one of the most debilitating impairments associated with ADHD, often leading to the long-term vocational and financial difficulties that characterize ADHD in adulthood.

"Our research has found time and time again that behavioral intervention is best for children with ADHD because they, their teachers, and their parents learn skills and strategies that will help them succeed at school, at home and in relationships long-term," said Pelham. "Stimulants are most effective as a supplemental, second-line treatment option for those who need it."

Behavioral and academic interventions that meaningfully improve functional impairment long-term for youth with ADHD include parent training and classroom-based management tools like a daily report card, and school services specific to academic achievement such as 504 plans and individualized education plans.

This study was published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and was funded by the National Institute on Mental Health.

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SOURCE Florida International University