ADHD meds don’t lead to higher grades, study says
A study by Florida International University’s Center for Children and Families concluded that therapy and educational support were also needed.
Every year, tens of millions of kids and teens with attention-deficit problems in the U.S. take medications to try to do better in school, but a groundbreaking study released Monday concluded the drugs, usually stimulants with side effects, don’t boost academic achievement.
The research, conducted by Florida International University experts, contradicts a longstanding belief among doctors, teachers, parents and patients that those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) perform better in class while on prescription drugs such as Adderall, Ritalin and other amphetamines and stimulants.
“It’s a very surprising finding,” said William Pelham Jr., senior author of the study and director of the FIU Center for Children and Families, which aims to improve mental health among children and their families.
“Medication helps a child behave better in school, and doctors and teachers think that is going to result in better achievement so they won’t be falling behind and they won’t fail. What this study shows is the medication has no effect on how much kids learn in the classroom setting,” added Pelham, 74, a clinical psychologist who has worked in this line of research since the 1980s and joined FIU to open the center in 2010.
In other words, while the pills might help a student sit still longer or listen to directions closer, they don’t actually help them score higher grades. In order to improve their studies, Pelham said, students must be treated with behavioral therapy and other psychological methods.
The groundbreaking 14-page paper,
fire forced out guests and touched off a lawsuit from the city of Miami Beach alleging the owners were neglecting the building to seek a demolition.
The imminent demolition of the Deauville, located in a historic district, has angered preservationists and North Beach advocates who want to preserve the city’s history. An appeal of the city’s demolition order was rejected Friday.
In a statement, Ross said he understood the importance of the Deauville to people in Miami Beach and wants to pay homage to the original building while creating a “transformational project.” Ross grew up in Miami Beach and graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School.
“As a native of Miami Beach, this project is personal to me,” he said. “I know what this site means to the people of Miami Beach, and I know the potential to create a truly special development that honors the history of the Deauville while creating an iconic place for generations to come.”
Demolition work on the Deauville began in March with the removal of the hotel’s metallic red sign and its driveway canopy, but workers must remove the asbestos in the property before proceeding with tearing down the rest of the building. The planned implosion of the hotel’s 17-story tower has not yet been scheduled.
A spokesman for Related Companies said Ross
plans to build the new project on the site after the Deauville is demolished.
Related Companies is behind New York’s Hudson Yards and the Deutsche Bank Center. Gehry, a Pritzker Prizewinning architect, is known for projects that include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Gehry, now 93, also designed the New World Center in Miami Beach.
Gehry, who visited the site Sunday, said in a statement that he was honored to partner with the Miami Beach community and with Ross.
“This site presents an
unmatched opportunity to create a landmark for the next generation,” he said.
The price of the sale was not disclosed and specific plans for the proposed project were not released.
Gelber, who praised the proposed project as an opportunity to revitalize the Deauville property, said in an email to residents that the project may need a ballot referendum to give Ross “the ability and flexibility to do something transformative.”
He said he would ask the City Commission to place a referendum on the November ballot related to the project, but it remains unclear what development incentives Ross is requesting.
“He is not looking to increase density but needs more flexibility in the design possibilities,” Gelber said. “He wants to do something special and beautiful in his old neighborhood. Something we will all be proud of.”
Miami Beach’s historic preservation rules give the Historic Preservation Board the authority to decide how the Deauville will be replaced after it is demolished. The city’s policy includes a “presumption” that the demolished building only be replaced with a new structure that has the same height, massing and square footage of the previous structure on
the property. The Historic Preservation Board also has the right to demand that the new project be built as a replica of the Deauville.
In his email, Gelber said requiring the re-creation of the Deauville would be impractical.
“If we hold out for that, the property will unquestionably remain undeveloped and vacant indefinitely,” he said.
For the project to move forward, Gelber said he wanted the maximum number of living units to be less than what is currently allowed. He also contemplates negotiating for public benefits as part of the project and he said
he wants Ross to remain the developer throughout the project’s conception.
“The truth is, this is an opportunity to respect our history while still setting a path for our future that lifts the neighborhood and delivers something extraordinary to our residents,” he said. “The details will matter, of course, but we will all get a chance to vote on the measure in November as it will be on the ballot for your consideration. What we do next matters, and this project allows us to create our own history.”