Drug treatment benefited children in the amount of school work that they completed , by up to 15 % , and less consistently improved children ’s accuracy in specific types of academic assignments , such as arithmetic .
Methylpheni date , dexamfetamine and mixed amfetamine formulations all showed beneficial effects on children ’s on-task behaviour and academic work completion .
These review findings suggest that medication for ADHD has the potential to improve children ’s learning and academic achievement
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) has a significant impact on children ’s classroom behaviour , daily functioning and experience of school life .
However , the effects of drug treatment for ADHD on learning and academic achievement are not fully understood .
This review was undertaken to describe the effects of methylpheni date , dexamfetamine , mixed amfetamine salts and atomoxetine on children ’s on-task  behaviour and their academic performance , and to perform a meta- analysis to quantify these effects .
Does methylphenidate normalize the classroom performance of children with attention deficit disorder?
The present study examined the degree to which methylpheni date ( MPH ) normalized the classroom behavior and academic functioning of 31 children with attention deficit disorder ( ADD ) . Subjects with ADD participated in a double-blind , placebo-controlled trial in which children received each of four doses ( 5 , 10 , 15 , and 20 mg ) of MPH and a placebo following baseline measures . Children with ADD were compared with a group of 25 normal control children on teacher ratings of social conduct , direct observations of on-task behavior , and academic efficiency . At a group level of analysis , MPH exerted a significant effect on classroom measures of attention and academic efficiency to a point where they were no longer statistically deviant from scores obtained by normal control children . Nevertheless , when examined at the individual level , 25 % of the sample failed to show normalized levels of classroom performance , thus implying the need for ancillary school-based interventions
Drug treatment benefited children in the amount of school work that they completed , by up to 15 % , and less consistently improved children ’s accuracy in specific types of academic assignments , such as arithmetic .
Methylpheni date , dexamfetamine and mixed amfetamine formulations all showed beneficial effects on children ’s on-task behaviour and academic work completion .
These review findings suggest that medication for ADHD has the potential to improve children ’s learning and academic achievement
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) has a significant impact on children ’s classroom behaviour , daily functioning and experience of school life .
However , the effects of drug treatment for ADHD on learning and academic achievement are not fully understood .
This review was undertaken to describe the effects of methylpheni date , dexamfetamine , mixed amfetamine salts and atomoxetine on children ’s on-task  behaviour and their academic performance , and to perform a meta- analysis to quantify these effects .