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Children with ADHD do better in school if they are diagnosed early
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They are more likely to have better grades, go to college, and avoid dropping out
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Early diagnosis helps children by providing access to treatment and special accommodations
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2026 (News of Health Day) – Children with ADHD A new study says they have a brighter future if they are diagnosed in their early years rather than in high school.
Children diagnosed with ADHD at an early age are more likely to get better grades and go on to college, researchers report April 8 in JAMA Psychiatry. They are also less likely to drop out of school.
“Diagnosis of ADHD in the early school years was associated with better school performance, greater choice of educational pathways, and lower likelihood of dropping out,” concluded the research team led by Lotta VolotinenDoctoral researcher of the University of Helsinki, Finland.
“The findings support recommendations for early diagnosis and consideration of ADHD screening before age 12,” the team wrote.
Early diagnosis allows children to access support, ADHD treatment, and special accommodations from schools, such as extra time on tests. Dr. Victor Fornarivice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital and Northwell Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Queens, New York.
“These interventions are very important because often a child feels as if they are not capable, when they are actually very intelligent, but their poor attention span limits their academic achievement,” Fornari said.
For the new study, researchers followed more than 580,000 children born in Finland between 1990 and 1999. Of this group, approximately 12,200 boys and 3,700 girls were diagnosed with ADHD.
The study compared the time of ADHD diagnosis to their academic achievement to see if early diagnosis made a difference in their achievement.
Overall, all children with ADHD had better academic results than those without the diagnosis, the researchers found.
However, children’s school performance varied significantly by age at diagnosis, with those diagnosed earlier in their education doing better than those diagnosed at age 16 or later.
“The poorest academic outcomes were observed among those diagnosed with ADHD at the end of compulsory schooling,” the researchers wrote. “Those who were diagnosed at the end of compulsory schooling had the least time to benefit from the diagnosis and improve their school performance before graduation.”
Fornari said it’s already known that an ADHD diagnosis puts a child at risk for poor academic performance.
“It is very important that those young people with ADHD are identified early in education so that they can reach their full potential in education and ensure that they stay in the education system and do not drop out,” he said.
Fornari noted that this can be especially difficult for parents of children who have attention deficit disorder but are not hyperactive.
“Most parents prefer a ‘wait and see’ approach before intervening,” he said. “For kids who aren’t hyperactive, the problem is that sometimes they’re restless, but they sit still. It’s harder for teachers and families to identify these youngsters because they’re not hyperactive and their inattention and distraction aren’t as obvious.”
He urged families to keep an open mind.
“It really requires families to be open to the idea that their child may have ADHD, even if they’re not hyperactive,” Fornari said. “Often this applies to girls who are restless and distracted, but not hyperactive.”
More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics has more information supporting students with ADHD.
SOURCES: JAMA PsychiatryApril 8, 2026; Dr. Victor Fornari, Vice Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital and Northwell Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Queens, New York
What does this mean for you?
Children should be screened for ADHD at an early age so they can get the help they need at school.
