ADHD and Student Grades: A Study of Student Grades and the Effectiveness of Common Treatments for Students with ADHD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33423/v5n6tm07Keywords:
higher education, ADHD, academic performance, treatment effectiveness, ADHD treatment effectiveness, ADHD intervention heterogeneityAbstract
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is among the most common neurodevelopmental conditions affecting school-age children, yet questions remain about which interventions most effectively support academic performance across different student populations. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's National Survey of Children's Health (n = 27,635), this study employs logistic regression to examine two questions: how does ADHD affect student grades, and which commonly used treatments are most effective at improving academic outcomes? ADHD was associated with a 12.2 percentage point increase in the likelihood of receiving low grades. Among treatments, medication and exercise were the only interventions that significantly reduced this likelihood, with effects varying meaningfully by gender and educational level. Notably, medication benefited male students but showed no significant effect for females, while exercise produced stronger academic benefits for females than males. No treatment showed a statistically significant effect for elementary school students. These findings suggest that more targeted, individualized treatment approaches may better serve students with ADHD across different demographic groups.
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