Why this conversation matters
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions in kids today, and is increasing in adults as well. Conversations around how best to help individuals with ADHD often start with medication. For many, medication provides meaningful relief, helping to manage symptoms that disrupt daily life. But medication alone doesn’t always address the full picture. ADHD is a complex, multi-faceted condition that touches not only attention and behavior, but also emotional regulation, learning, and overall well-being. To truly support individuals with ADHD, we need to consider the impact of the challenges as well as the goals for that individual. We need to look beyond prescriptions and explore a broader set of tools and strategies that nurture the whole person, both today and every day going forward, as ADHD is not a condition that is outgrown, but can have a lifelong impact.
The decision to try medication for ADHD is rarely made lightly. Parents come to this point after navigating their child’s struggles firsthand, listening to teachers, and weighing professional recommendations. By the time medication is on the table, many feel something must change, but are often unsure how to make that change happen. This moment can be filled with a mix of concerns and hopes—worries about how difficulties with attention and impulsivity are affecting learning, relationships, and self-esteem, and hopes that easing these challenges might reduce the daily friction at home and at school.
Parents often note positive changes when a child starts stimulant medication: more focus, better on-task behavior, and fewer classroom disruptions. This can make a meaningful difference - minimizing disruptions in the classroom, and even impacting a child’s self-esteem, however, medication often leaves aspects of ADHD untouched. The recent New York Times Magazine feature by Paul Tough highlights an important reality alongside those benefits: medication can improve attention and effort, yet it does not consistently improve how children learn or what they remember once the dose wears off. Depending on your goals for your child, both in the short-term and long-term, additional strategies may be needed to deepen the support for the multifaceted aspects of ADHD.
We see you, parents. There is a lot of information out there, and it can feel overwhelming to watch your child struggle. It is encouraging to start medication and see symptoms improve because daily life often gets easier. At Brain Balance, we also want families to know there is a path to long-term improvements impacting a greater depth of ADHD symptoms, and improving how a child’s brain functions and how they feel. That path focuses on strengthening development and brain connectivity so gains can last, beyond the dosage of medication, coping strategies, or symptom management alone.
What the research says about medication, behavior, and learning
Large trials have long shown short-term symptom gains on medication. In a landmark MTA study, medication management and combination treatment reduced ADHD symptoms more than behavioral treatment alone over the first 14 months. But the advantage diminished over time. By three years, group differences converged, and extended medication use was later linked to a small suppression in adult height without better symptom outcomes compared to peers who used less or no medication.
Several recent studies make the same point:
The key takeaways: stimulant medications often used to treat ADHD symptoms can help a child sit, start, and stay on task with schoolwork. That is undoubtedly valuable in the life of a child with ADHD and his/her family. But when we consider the quality of life of a child, stimulant medication may not build the underlying brain skills that a child needs to help learning academic information stick.
Meeting parents where they are
If medication is helping your child function and participate, that is a real win for your family. Many parents tell us it creates breathing room at home and at school. Our goal is to support that progress while also helping the brain develop the skills that carry over after the dose wears off. In other words, we want short-term relief and long-term change working together.
The root issue: development and connectivity need to be “on track”
Symptoms often associated with ADHD, like trouble focusing, impulsivity, hyperactivity, or big emotional reactions, are not behavioral choices. Kids aren’t choosing to be distracted or reactive; most are trying their very best. These challenges happen when the brain has developmental gaps that make attention and regulation harder than what we’d expect for their age.
Attention is a direct result of healthy brain development. A toddler cannot sit and concentrate the way a 10-year-old can, and a 10-year-old doesn’t yet have the focus of a 20-year-old. That’s because, as the brain matures, attention, impulse control, and emotional regulation improve as a result of the improved neural connectivity and efficiency needed to direct and sustain attention and regulate impulses. But when development is disrupted or delayed, kids may struggle with these skills even as they get older. Research shows that children with ADHD often have delays in brain maturation and differences in how networks communicate with each other.
The good news is that the brain and development can change. With the right input, the brain and body can experience improved development, which consists of a combination of new and stronger brain connections to support more complex demands and abilities better. Maturity in development translates into improvements in the ability to direct and sustain attention, regulate mood and emotions, and control actions. This creates not only improvement in seated classroom work, but also translates into improved learning and skills, not just a calmer, quieter body. This is the difference between medication to reduce some symptoms, versus improving the underlying development. The underlying brain systems need strengthening for true, lasting progress.
Symptom management vs. root-cause development
There are many helpful tools in a family’s toolkit. Some approaches teach coping strategies, others support academic skills, and still others focus on behavior management. These can make a difference day-to-day, but most target only one area. They manage symptoms rather than building the underlying brain development needed for long-term change.
That’s why parents often feel like progress doesn’t “stick” or they are playing “whack-a-mole” chasing symptoms. A comprehensive plan must look deeper than surface behaviors and strengthen the foundations of attention and learning.
Why a comprehensive, whole-brain plan changes the trajectory
Because ADHD reflects differences across multiple systems, multi-modal approaches that combine cognitive, physical, and sensory training with nutritional guidance to strengthen and build brain connectivity without the use of medication are better aligned with how the brain actually changes.
In practical terms, a comprehensive plan helps children:
- Bring attention, self-control, and emotional regulation closer to age level
- Strengthen working memory and flexible thinking that support school success
- Translate better regulation into actual learning gains, not just better seatwork
How does this align with the Brain Balance perspective?
Medication can be an essential part of a family’s toolkit, and for many children and adults, it is necessary. Our perspective is that the best long-term outcomes occur when families combine a medication’s engagement benefits with a whole-brain approach that strengthens the underlying systems for focus, learning, and emotional control.
“As a parent, it can feel overwhelming to watch your child struggle with focus, impulsivity, or emotional ups and downs. The New York Times article points out that medication can quickly help kids appear more focused, but it also shows us that symptoms often ebb and flow with the environment and don’t always translate into better learning. What I’ve learned in more than a decade of research is that attention isn’t just a skill kids ‘choose’ to use. It’s a reflection of their brain development. When development is on track, attention naturally improves with age. But if there are gaps, kids will struggle despite their best efforts. The encouraging news is that development can change. At Brain Balance, we see children build stronger attention and self-control when we help their brains mature in the areas that are lagging. That’s why pairing symptom relief with whole-brain development is so important for long-term success.”
- Dr. Rebecca Jackson, Brain Health Expert, Chief Programs Officer for Brain Balance
Learn More
Brain Balance’s integrative approach combines cognitive, physical, and sensory training with nutritional guidance to strengthen and build brain connectivity without the use of medication. Stronger connections translate to improved attention, behaviors, and social-emotional well-being.
Fill out the form to talk to your local Brain Balance team and learn how Brain Balance fits into your family’s ADHD toolkit.
Want to dive deeper? Check out Dr. Jackson’s book Back on Track for parent-friendly insights into development and at-home strategies.
