As students struggled to study for their final exams before the holidays, I noticed that news reports about Adderall use in campus began to appear more frequently. Adderall is a long-acting amphetamine used to treat ADHD, with effects that last up to 10 hours. It’s ability to boost focus, concentration, memory, and energy levels make it a popular drug among young professionals and college students, who need them to enhance performance. But does Adderall really work for this purpose?
It’s not uncommon for doctors to prescribe powerful stimulants to children who cannot focus at school. In fact, many teachers suggest using Ritalin to control ADHD symptoms in the classroom, even before a child is properly diagnosed. While it’s hard to blame overworked teachers who have to deal with noisy, hyperactive children every day, a Scandinavian study shows that adding white noise to a classroom is just as effective at helping kids focus than drugs.
The first day of school is just a few weeks’ away and like many parents, you’re probably looking for ways to help your ADHD child excel academically (or at the very least, meet the passing grade). One of the biggest challenges parents face is keeping their kids attentive and focused long enough to get their homework done. The average child often puts up a real struggle when it comes to schoolwork, but the symptoms of ADHD magnify the homework wars tenfold. Not only do they have problems with self-control, but their forgetful tendencies may keep them from taking note of the assignment and bringing home the things they need. Fortunately, researchers just developed a system that can reduce homework problems by half. At least, that’s what a new study just discovered.