TREATING ADHD IN ADOLESCENTS
A landmark study was conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health that examined the most effective form of treatment for adolescents with ADHD. In this study 579 positively diagnosed ADHD Combined Type children between the age of 7 and 10 were administered four different treatments. The first group was administered medication only, the second group received behavioral therapy only, the third group was a combination of the two and the fourth group was community care without medication or therapy.
The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD found solid evidence that the best form of treatment is a combination of medication management and behavioral therapy. Furthermore, behavioral therapy alone was far more effective than community care and no medication.
The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD found solid evidence that the best form of treatment is a combination of medication management and behavioral therapy. Furthermore, behavioral therapy alone was far more effective than community care and no medication.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MEDICATING MY CHILD FOR ADHD
Medicating your child is always a difficult decision and I am an advocate of attempting to implement behavioral therapy, behavior modification and family coaching prior to medicating. Much of this depends on the severity of the symptoms and I will provide a solid evaluation when working with your child. ADHD stimulant medications are some of the most well researched pharmacological interventions and there is a large body of evidence that indicates that the risks are minimal and the benefits can be great. Stimulants are not the only approach available these days and other pharmacological interventions that can be discussed with a qualified ADHD psychiatrist.
If you are completely against medication, there are alternative treatments. These treatments lack a body of significant evidence to prove their efficacy yet many people report some positive results when using them with their ADHD child. I would be glad to assist in this approach and have a body of information about diet, supplements and lifestyle changes that are worth exploring as an alternative.
Whether you choose to use pharmaceutical interventions or would care to use some alternative routes, I have created a comprehensive protocol to assist in providing tangible tools and psychological interventions to assist your child and family in living a more fulfilling life with ADHD.
