What help is available for families?

Many treatments, some with scientific basis and some without, have been recommended for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Traditional approaches to treatment involve medications and/or behavior therapy.

Several types of medications have been used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The most widely used drugs are stimulants. Stimulants increase activity in parts of the brain that appear to be under active in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Experts believe this is why stimulants improve attention and reduce impulsive, hyperactive, or aggressive behavior. For some children and adolescents, certain anti-depressants may also help alleviate symptoms of the disorder. Tranquilizers also have been effective for some individuals. Care must be taken when prescribing and monitoring all medications. It is important to note that these are not the only medications that may be prescribed for this disorder.

Like most medications, those used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have side effects. These medications may cause some children to lose weight, have reduced appetites, and temporarily grow more slowly. Others may have trouble falling asleep. However, many doctors believe the benefits of these medications outweigh the possible side effects. Often, health care providers can alleviate side effects by adjusting the dosage.

Another treatment approach, called behavior therapy, involves using techniques and strategies to modify the behavior of children with the disorder. Behavior therapy may include:

• Instruction for parents and teachers on how to manage and modify children's or adolescents' behavior, such as rewarding good behaviors.
• Daily report cards to link efforts between home and school, where parents reward children or adolescents for good school performance and behavior.
• Summer and Saturday programs.
• Special classrooms that use intensive behavior modification.
• Specially trained classroom aides.

While a combination of stimulants and behavior therapy is believed to be helpful, it is not clear how long the benefits from this approach last. The Federal government's National Institute of Mental Health is supporting research on the long-term benefits of various treatments, as well as research to determine if medication and behavior treatment are more effective when combined. Ongoing research efforts also are aimed at identifying new medicines and treatments.