Meds Help Kids With ADHD in Classroom(bility impulsivity excessive daydreaming...),Health

ADHD has been linked with low academic achievement, including lower math and reading scores, higher rates of special education placement and high drop-out rates.

Prior research has shown the benefits of ADHD medications to children with the disorder, including improvements in short-term memory, performance of school-related tasks and rate of homework completion.

But this is one of the first to look at academic performance over the long term, said study author Richard Scheffler, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Jon Shaw, director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Miami School of Medicine, said the study confirms what many mental health professionals and parents have known for years about the benefits of ADHD medication.

"This well-designed research study substantiates what has been known clinically for many years, that children compromised by the symptoms of ADHD are handicapped in their school experiences and academic performance," Shaw said. "Judicious use of appropriate medications for this neurobiological condition helps these children to be successful in school and in the academic arena."

Although medications have been shown to help children with ADHD, the extensive use of drugs has been controversial, with some claiming children are being medicated unnecessarily.

The study is not advocating that every child who has attention problems be put on medication, Hinshaw said. An ADHD diagnosis should only be made after a careful evaluation by doctors.

And not all children will see test scores rise as a result of medication.

"This doesn't mean every single child will show that benefit," Hinshaw said. "Some w
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