ADHD Treatment in Preschoolers: A Summary & Key Takeaways
This article discusses a study examining how young children (ages 3-5) are treated after being diagnosed wiht ADHD. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
1. Two Main Approaches to ADHD Treatment:
* Behavioral Therapy: Focuses on teaching children adn families strategies to manage ADHD symptoms – like association, focus, and impulse control.This builds long-term skills.
* Medication: Relieves symptoms like hyperactivity and inattentiveness, but the effects are temporary and tied to dosage.
2. Recommended first Step:
* Guidelines recommend six months of behavioral therapy before considering medication for preschoolers diagnosed with ADHD.
3. The Problem: Rapid Prescriptions
* The study found that over 42% of children received a prescription for ADHD medication within one month of their diagnosis.
* Only 14.1% waited more than six months before starting medication.
* This suggests many children aren’t receiving the recommended initial behavioral therapy.
4. Why the Discrepancy? Barriers to Behavioral Therapy:
* Limited Access: Many areas lack enough therapists offering behavioral therapy for ADHD.
* Insurance Coverage: Behavioral therapy may not be fully covered by insurance.
* Doctor’s Perspective: Doctors sometimes feel compelled to prescribe medication because they have nowhere to refer families for behavioral treatment,believing some treatment is better than none.
5. Even with Less Severe Symptoms:
* Even children who didn’t initially meet the full criteria for an ADHD diagnosis were often quickly prescribed medication (nearly 23%).
6.Importance of Both Treatments (Especially for Older Children):
* For children 6 and older, both behavioral therapy and medication are recommended.
* Behavioral therapy provides lasting skills, while medication manages symptoms. Medication should not be seen as the sole solution.
7. Future Focus:
* Researchers hope to educate pediatricians about resources to help bridge the gap in access to behavioral therapy, such as free or low-cost online resources for parents.
In essence,the study highlights a concerning trend of quickly prescribing medication to young children with ADHD,often bypassing the recommended first step of behavioral therapy due to access and coverage issues.
