Methylphenidate and attentional training. Comparative effects on behavior and neurocognitive performance in twin girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Researchers worked with twin girls who had ADHD. They compared two things: methylphenidate pills and daily computer drills that train attention.

The team flipped the treatments on and off four times. Each flip let them see how each girl acted and scored on brain games while on or off each help.

Both the drug and the computer drills boosted test scores and classroom behavior. The drug helped fast, but the drills gave a slower, steadier climb.

The girls did not react the same: one twin peaked on a low drug dose, the other needed more. The drill gains looked alike for both.

Spaniol et al. (2021) later ran a stricter test with autistic kids. They used the same drill style and saw lasting math, reading, and writing gains. Their better design shows the 1996 spark was real, not just twin luck.

Kirk et al. (2017) tried the same drills at home with a wider IDD group. They found almost no quick win and only a tiny math bump months later. Home setup and younger mixed kids may explain the weaker lift.

Two new meta-analyses, Zhao et al. (2025) and Fang et al. (2024), pool dozens of play-based and exercise studies. Both find large attention gains for kids with ADHD. Their bigger picture says moving games can rival pills, backing the 1996 idea that non-drug training works.

You now know attention drills can help girls with ADHD, but dose and setting matter. Start small, track each learner’s curve, and pair drills with movement breaks shown in later work. If parents ask for drug-free options, show them these data and plan at least twelve sessions for a real shot at success.