Prognosis
Children diagnosed with ADHD have significant difficulties in adolescence, regardless of treatment. In the United States, 37 percent of those with ADHD do not get a high school diploma even though many of them will receive special education services. A 1995 briefing citing a 1994 book review says the combined outcomes of the expulsion and dropout rates indicate that almost half of all ADHD students never finish high school. Also in the US, less than 5 percent of individuals with ADHD get a college degree compared to 28 percent of the general population. The proportion of children meeting the diagnostic criteria for ADHD drops by about 50 percent over three years after the diagnosis. This occurs regardless of the treatments used and also occurs in untreated children with ADHD. ADHD persists into adulthood in about 30 to 50 percent of cases. Those affected are likely to develop coping mechanisms as they mature, thus compensating for their previous ADHD.
Read more about this topic: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder