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Adhd Care

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CARE FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER IN CHILDREN

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral condition

characterized by excessive restlessness, inattention, distraction, and impulsivity. It is usually

first identified when children are school-aged, although it also can be diagnosed in people of all

age groups. In an average classroom of 30 children, research suggests that at least one will have

ADHD. ADHD symptoms include excessive restlessness, poor attention, and impulsive acts.

Estimates show that between 3 and 7 percent of school-aged children and about 4 percent of

adults have ADHD. There has never been any sign that the disorder is biological in any way.

Because there is no brain imaging scan or blood test to diagnose ADHD, it is important that a

health care professional specifically trained to diagnose and treat ADHD evaluate your child’s

behavior. Clinicians, such as pediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists, will be able to

tell whether your child’s behaviors are symptoms of ADHD or if he or she is just unusually active

or immature.

To help families make important decisions about treatment, the National Institute of

Mental Health (NIMH) conducted the most in-depth study ever carried out for evaluating ADHD

treatments. This study is called the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (or the

MTA). Data from this study showed that methylphenidate (a commonly used stimulant

medication for ADHD) is effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD, either alone or in

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combination with behavioral therapy. It also found that treatment that includes medication is

more effective for the symptoms of ADHD (such as hyperactivity) than behavioral therapy

alone. This is especially true when the medication’s dosage is closely monitored and

personalized for each child.

Behavioral treatments in the MTA study included three approaches:

• Parent Training: Helps parents learn about ADHD and ways to manage ADHD behaviors.

• Child-Focused Treatment: Helps children and teens with ADHD learn to develop social,

academic, and problem solving skills.

• School-Based Interventions: Help teachers meet children’s educational needs by teaching

them skills to manage the children’s ADHD behaviors in the classroom (such as rewards,

consequences, and daily report cards sent to parents).

Medication is a highly effective way to treat the symptoms of ADHD, but it only works

when it is taken as prescribed. Unlike antibiotics and similar medications that are taken for

short periods of time to treat infections and other ailments, there is no ADHD medication that

will cure this condition. Fortunately, the majority of children with ADHD can improve

significantly with a combination of medication and behavioral treatment.

Citations

1. Available at: (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd). Accessed 4/12/07

2. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,

Fourth Edition (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2004.

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Name of Student: Name of Professor: Date: CARE FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER IN CHILDREN Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral condition characterized by excessive restlessness, inattention, distraction, and impulsivity. It is usually first identified when children are school-aged, although it also can be diagnosed in people of all age groups. In an average classroom of 30 children, research suggests that at least one will have ADHD. ADHD symptoms include excessive restlessness, poor attention, and impulsive acts. Estimates show that between 3 and 7 percent of school-aged children and about 4 percent of adults have ADHD. There has never been any sign that the disorder is biological in any way. Because there is no brain imaging scan or blood test to diagnose ADHD, it is important that a health care professional specifically trained to diagnose ...
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