The ADHD Research Says….
ADHD is the most common diagnosis we work with at LearningRx. In fact, we have two peer-reviewed studies published related to our work with students with ADHD/attention issues.
In the Journal of Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, the research showed an average gain of 26 IQ points, improvements across all cognitive skills and improvements in self-discipline,, cooperative behaviors and confidence.
In a study published in the Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology, the research showed that the most common weaknesses for those with ADHD were processing speed and memory – NOT attention!
This means that when an individual is diagnosed with ADHD, often the actual issues are weaknesses in areas like processing speed. For example, when processing speed is slow, a child’s brain has to work so hard in performing an academic task that they cannot sustain focus. Think of yourself when you are tired and trying to listen to a lecture or sermon. You try to stay with it, but likely zone out and start to daydream. When cognitive skills are not strong, it is like this often for individuals with ADHD. The most common approach is to take ADHD medication and get an IEP in the classroom. Although medication can help, it is a band aid that is only treating the symptom.
IEP’s can help, but again, they are working around the issue by providing accommodations for students. For example, students may receive more time to complete tasks or be able to do their work in a quiet environment. That may help for the moment, but at some point in life they are going to be required to work in loud and noisy environments. This approach is not preparing them for the “real world”.
This is why we typically see significant improvements for those with an ADHD diagnosis. We not only address the attention issue, but also the key skills like processing speed and memory contributing to or causing the attention issue in the first place.
If you have a loved one struggling with ADHD or attention issues, do not settle for treating the symptoms. Call our Eagan location to schedule an initial assessment to identify the root cause of the attention issues and get the help they need to improve their ability to focus.
