Children with ADHD often show behaviors that can be very disruptive to others. Behavior therapy is a treatment option that can help reduce these behaviors; it is often helpful to start behavior therapy as soon as a diagnosis is made. The goals of behavior therapy are to learn or strengthen positive behaviors and eliminate unwanted or problem behaviors. Behavior therapy for ADHD can include. These approaches can also be used together. For children who attend early childhood programs, it is usually most effective if parents and educators work together to help the child.
For young children with ADHD, behavior therapy is an important first step before trying medication because:. For children ages 6 years and older, AAP recommends combining medication treatment with behavior therapy. Several types of behavior therapies are effective, including:. These approaches are often most effective if they are used together, depending on the needs of the individual child and the family.
Learn more about behavior therapy. Learn more about ADHD treatment and support in school. These include academic failure, social problems, car accidents, and drug abuse. As with many prescription drugs, of course, stimulants like Vyvanse, Adderall XR, or Evekeo can interact dangerously with certain other medications. Be sure to alert the doctor about any other medications your child takes.
A study indicated that, between and , 19 children died while taking either methylphenidate or amphetamine, the two most commonly prescribed stimulants. The FDA concluded that the number of deaths was no greater than would have been expected, given the large number of kids taking these medications. In addition, five of the children who died had a structural heart defect. If any of these factors are present, the patient — whether child or adult — should be evaluated by a cardiologist before taking a stimulant.
In general, there is no need for apparently healthy kids to undergo an electrocardiogram or any other high-tech-and high-cost-diagnostic procedure before starting stimulant medication. Stimulants can cause a range of side effects, notably appetite suppression and weight loss. But these effects tend to be transient, recent studies suggest. Giving children a big meal after their medication has worn off may be enough to compensate. ADHD medication side effects can also include headaches or difficulty falling asleep.
Lowering the dosage or switching to another drug may ease these problems. In rare cases, children taking a stimulant experience visual or tactile illusions, or develop a tic, such as blinking uncontrollably. However, long-term studies show that, even if kids do drop height and weight initially, they tend to rebound to their normal growth patterns about three years out.
Thus, kids tend to be less hyperactive, less impulsive, more focused and less distractible when the medications work. These medications however do not treat any type of learned behavior or other types of learning problems. This is the most common side effect of these medications. The loss of appetite happens when the meds are effective and wears off just like the benefits of the medication. This is typically a manageable problem, but we suggest that this issue be discussed with the doctor who prescribes the medication.
Kids who take this medication can experience troubles falling asleep. This is usually a mild change and it tends to occur more in kids who are younger and who might have had issues with falling asleep before they started the medication.
Many things can interfere with falling asleep. So it also is important to figure out whether any of those things are present worry about school or friends, excess screen time before bed, etc. Problems falling asleep can sometimes get better over time and may be helped by changing either the time or type of the medication that is given.
In spite of concerns that have been voiced regarding growth and stimulants, a recent well-done clinical study showed that neither ADHD nor treatment with stimulants was associated in a change in how fast kids grow during the maximum growth period or in final adult height. Combined with other studies, it seems clear that stimulant treatment has little to no impact on growth. A small minority of children experience behavioral changes as their ADHD medication wears off, typically at the end of the school day.
They can seem more irritable or emotional, but it is usually mild. This may be connected to the medication level dropping, and strategies that create a more gradual decrease in the medication level may help take it away, such as adding a smaller dose a half hour before the medication wears off. Tics usually start between 6 and 8 years of age, which is often when kids first start taking a medication for ADHD. Tics also come and go over time. But this should be monitored during treatment.
If you child has tics or develops tics during treatment, you could discuss trying a non-stimulant medication, which affects the brain in a different way. When a stimulant dose is too high for a child he may begin to look sedated or zombie-like, or tearful and irritable. Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin. Caring for an aging parent? Tips for enjoying holiday meals. A conversation about reducing the harms of social media.
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