Relative efficacy of pharmacological, behavioral, and combination treatments for enhancing academic performance

The role of stimulant drugs in facilitating academic performance in hyperactive (HA), learning disabled (LD), and hyperactive-learning disabled (HA-LD) children has been a matter of controversy for over a decade. The findings from 16 studies that compared the effects of medication and behavioral interventions on academic performance are reviewed with consideration for methodological issues and clinical implications. It was concluded that certain academically oriented behavioral interventions were clearly superior to medication and that there was only limited support for the notion stimulant drugs markedly enhance the efficacy of the former. Suggestions on how the procedures in and the findings from these studies might apply to the clinical decision-making process are presented.