ADHD: Does Medication Make a Better Student?

Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become a major issue in the modern classroom. In a recent article from a Florida newspaper, it was stated that about nine percent of children between the ages of eight and fifteen have this disorder which “affects a child’s ability to focus and to control impulsive behaviors.” That is approximately 2.4 million children going to school every day with ADHD. The image below illustrates what percentage of children between the ages four to seventeen are currently on medication for this ailment. These numbers illustrate that this issue needs to be addressed and could potentially have an impact on the future of this country. What can be done to help these students to reach their potential despite a penchant for talking out of turn and not paying attention in school?

A study by the Mayo Clinic found that “compared to children without ADHD, children with the disorder are at risk for poor long-term school outcomes such as low achievement in reading, absenteeism, repeating a grade and dropping out of school.” This is the first hard evidence that supports the fact that children who have untreated cases of this disorder are less likely to do well in an academic setting. In an article by Amy Tieder it is stated that this same study also found that “by age 13, on average, stimulant dose was . . . correlated with improved reading achievement scores” and that “both treatment with stimulants and longer duration of medication were associated with decreased absenteeism.” In other words, it appears as though medication is the answer. Drugs like Ritalin and Adderall have become household names and it turns out that they do more than simply curb a child’s hyperactivity; they can also help them earn better grades. With all of these positive results, why would one not give every child with ADHD these pills?

Opponents of these drugs claim that they have serious side effects. An Associated Press article asserted that the government is going to undertake a large-scale study to determine if the drugs taken to treat ADHD really do lead to medical problems. Antidepressants have been linked with heart disease for quite some time, but no research has been presented to support these suspicions. However, “last year the FDA asked drug makers to add new warnings to their drugs based on reports of heart attack, stroke and death among children and adults treated for ADHD.” This illustrates that although children who take medication for ADHD appear to be more at risk for heart attacks, there is not enough evidence to state that the pills do, in fact, cause health issues and so the aforementioned study is necessary.

Some people battle the use of drugs (pictured on the left) for this affliction because they feel that there are too many misdiagnoses. Clarke Ross, the CEO of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), a group that supports those with ADHD, says that “There is no doubt that in certain areas of the country, there is misdiagnosis. The lack of consistency in physician diagnosis and treatment is frustrating.” However, there is now a new test being used to ascertain whether or not a young person has ADHD. This new method should do away with most of the misdiagnoses that have previously occurred due to a lack of consistency concerning how to test for the disorder. In a study performed by the US government, “researchers detected ADHD cases by asking questions derived from medical criteria used to diagnose the disorder.” These “criteria” can be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Now that it has been proven that these medications not only reduce a child’s excess energy, but also gives him or her the chance to reach their potential in the classroom, only one question remains: Is medicating these students worth the risk? In the aforementioned AP article, it is also posited that the “FDA's recent scrutiny of antidepressants and hyperactivity drugs . . . could overshadow the benefits of medications to treat mental disorders.” I agree with this sentiment. The health issues have yet to be scientifically proven and until they are, the advantages of taking medication for ADHD are far more important than claims that are not based on solid fact. As for the misdiagnoses, they should now be a thing of the past. The new standardized test creates a way to consistently and correctly determine if a child has the disorder. I see no reason to refrain from treating ADHD with medication.