Medication for ADHD is controversial but it really shouldn't be; when it’s used properly, it’s very safe and very effective. It doesn't always work; it works about 80% of the time. When it does work, it works very much like a pair of eyeglasses. It allows you to focus, it doesn't make you smarter but it allows you to use the smart you've got; much as eyeglasses don’t make you smarter but they allow you to use the smart you've got. Used properly, stimulant medication like Ritalin and Adderall, allow a child or an adult for that matter, to focus better and therefore improve performance much as eyeglasses do.