HELPING STUDENTS WITH ADHD CAN HELP ALLEVIATE THE DROP-OUT EPIDEMIC

Teens with the most common type of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are more than twice as likely to drop-out of school or delay graduation than their peers, a new study has found. Since more than 2.4 million children between the ages of 12 and 17 have ADHD — and since more than 50 percent of students with ADHD go undiagnosed — finding ways to overcome the obstacles preventing their success in school could have a major impact on this nation's drop-out epidemic. One possible remedy: Online educational programs that provide students with ADHD an opportunity to learn in a way more conducive to their individual learning styles and mental health challenges. "Many students with ADHD have a significant lack of focus and inability to complete tasks," Neil Peterson, founder of the ADHD coaching group The Edge Foundation told United Business Media. "The online learning model offers something for the interactive and the auditory – two main ways kids learn."