![\"\"](\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ADHDChild1.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
For decades, many physicians, parents and teachers have believed that\u00a0stimulant medications help children with ADHD learn<\/a>\u00a0because they are able to\u00a0focus and behave better when medicated<\/a>.<\/p>\n After all,\u00a0an estimated 6.1 million children in the U.S. are diagnosed with attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder<\/a>, and\u00a0more than 90% are prescribed stimulant medication<\/a>\u00a0as the main form of treatment in school settings.<\/p>\n However, in a peer-reviewed study that several colleagues and I published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, we found medication\u00a0has no detectable effect on how much children with ADHD learn in the classroom<\/a>. At least that\u2019s the case when learning \u2013 defined as the\u00a0acquisition of performable skills or knowledge through instruction<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 is measured in terms of tests meant to assess improvements in a student\u2019s current academic knowledge or skills over time.<\/p>\n Compared to their peers, children with ADHD exhibit more off-task, disruptive classroom behavior,\u00a0earn lower grades<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0score lower on tests<\/a>. They are more likely to\u00a0receive special education services<\/a>\u00a0and be\u00a0retained for a grade<\/a>, and\u00a0less likely to finish high school and enter college<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 two educational milestones that are associated with\u00a0significant increases in earnings<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just as children with ADHD have more difficulty than peers in school, adults with a history of ADHD have a\u00a0hard time keeping a steady job<\/a>.<\/p>\n In this study,\u00a0funded by the National Institute of Mental Health<\/a>, we evaluated 173 children between the ages of 7 and 12. They were all participants in our\u00a0Summer Treatment Program<\/a>, a comprehensive eight-week summer camp for children with ADHD and related behavioral, emotional and learning challenges.<\/p>\n Children got grade-level instruction in vocabulary, science and social studies. The classes were led by certified teachers. The children received medication the first half of summer and a placebo during the other half. They were tested at the start of each academic instruction block, which lasted approximately three weeks. They then took the same test at the end to determine how much they learned.<\/p>\n Contrary to the conventional wisdom under which parents and teachers have long operated, we found children learned the same amount of science, social studies and vocabulary content whether they were taking medication or a placebo.<\/p>\n Yes. We were shocked by this finding, too.<\/p>\nMeasurements of learning<\/strong><\/h4>\n