Treatment:
The 2011 Clinical Practice guideline of the American Academy of Pediatrics is available here in .pdf form (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2011/10/14/peds.2011-2654.full.pdf).
According to this recommendation, the child's treating clinician should recommend the following:
1. For preschool-aged children(4–5 years of age), the primary care clinician should prescribe evidence-based parent- and/or teacher-administered behavior therapy as the first line of treatment and may prescribe methylphenidate if the behavior interventions do not provide significant improvement and there is moderate-to-severe continuing disturbance in the child’s function.
2. For elementary school–aged children (6–11 years of age), the primary care clinician should prescribe US Food and Drug
Administration–approved medications for ADHD and/or evidence-based parent and/or teacher-administered behavior therapy as treatment for ADHD, preferably both. The evidence is particularly strong for stimulant medications and sufficient but less strong for atomoxetine, extended-release guanfacine, and extended-release clonidine (in that order). The school environment, program, or placement is a part of any treatment plan.
3. For adolescents (12–18 years of age), the primary care clinician should prescribe Food and Drug Administration–approved medications for ADHD with the assent of the adolescent and may prescribe behavior therapy as treatment for ADHD preferably both.
Medication:
The use of medication is not without risk and families should seek the advice of the physician managing their child in the process of deciding about medication use.
Several different types of medications are FDA-approved to treat ADHD in children:
Stimulants are the best-known and most widely used ADHD medications. Between 70-80 percent of children with ADHD have fewer ADHD symptoms when they take these fast-acting medications.
Nonstimulants were approved for treating ADHD in 2003. Nonstimulants do not work as quickly as stimulants, but they can last up to 24 hours.
Medications can affect children differently. One child may respond well to one medication, but not another. The doctor may need to try different medications and doses, so it is important for parents to work with their child’s doctor to find the medication that works best for their child.
Behavior Therapy:
Research shows that behavior therapy is an important part of treatment for children with ADHD. ADHD affects not only a child’s ability to pay attention or sit still at school, it also affects relationships with family and other children. 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 can include behavior therapy training for parents, behavior therapy with children, or a combination. Teachers can also use behavior therapy to help reduce problem behaviors in the classroom.
In parent training in behavior therapy, parents learn new skills or strengthen their existing skills to teach and guide their children and to manage their behavior.
In behavior therapy with children, the therapist works with the child to learn new behaviors to replace behaviors that don’t work or cause problems.
ADHD and the Classroom:
The symptoms of ADHD, inability to pay attention, difficulty sitting still, difficulty controlling impulses, can make it particularly hard for children with ADHD to do well in school. It is important for teachers to have the needed skills to help children manage their ADHD. However, since the majority of children with ADHD are not enrolled in special education classes, their teachers will most likely be regular education teachers who might know very little about ADHD and could benefit from assistance and guidance.
These are some tips to share with teachers for classroom success:
Make assignments clear – check with the student to see if they understood what they need to do
Give positive reinforcement and attention to positive behavior
Make sure assignments are not long and repetitive. Shorter assignments that provide a little challenge without being too hard are best. Allow time for movement and exercise
Communicate with parents on a regular basis
Use a homework folder to limit the number of things the child has to track
Be sensitive to self-esteem issues
Minimize distractions in the classroom
Involve the school counselor or psychologist
Further information about Behavior therapy and ADHD in the Classroom is available here:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/treatment.html
Disclaimer: The Autism Telemedicine Company does not endorse or recommend the use of any medication or therapy on this website, nor does it dispense medical or other professional advice, nor does it prescribe medication. The content on this site is informational only and does not, nor is it intended to replace the professional advice or guidance of the child's or adult's treating provider, nor does it constitute medical or professional advice. See also Disclaimer and Terms of Service pages.
Updated: September 8, 2022.
The 2011 Clinical Practice guideline of the American Academy of Pediatrics is available here in .pdf form (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2011/10/14/peds.2011-2654.full.pdf).
According to this recommendation, the child's treating clinician should recommend the following:
1. For preschool-aged children(4–5 years of age), the primary care clinician should prescribe evidence-based parent- and/or teacher-administered behavior therapy as the first line of treatment and may prescribe methylphenidate if the behavior interventions do not provide significant improvement and there is moderate-to-severe continuing disturbance in the child’s function.
2. For elementary school–aged children (6–11 years of age), the primary care clinician should prescribe US Food and Drug
Administration–approved medications for ADHD and/or evidence-based parent and/or teacher-administered behavior therapy as treatment for ADHD, preferably both. The evidence is particularly strong for stimulant medications and sufficient but less strong for atomoxetine, extended-release guanfacine, and extended-release clonidine (in that order). The school environment, program, or placement is a part of any treatment plan.
3. For adolescents (12–18 years of age), the primary care clinician should prescribe Food and Drug Administration–approved medications for ADHD with the assent of the adolescent and may prescribe behavior therapy as treatment for ADHD preferably both.
Medication:
The use of medication is not without risk and families should seek the advice of the physician managing their child in the process of deciding about medication use.
Several different types of medications are FDA-approved to treat ADHD in children:
Stimulants are the best-known and most widely used ADHD medications. Between 70-80 percent of children with ADHD have fewer ADHD symptoms when they take these fast-acting medications.
Nonstimulants were approved for treating ADHD in 2003. Nonstimulants do not work as quickly as stimulants, but they can last up to 24 hours.
Medications can affect children differently. One child may respond well to one medication, but not another. The doctor may need to try different medications and doses, so it is important for parents to work with their child’s doctor to find the medication that works best for their child.
Behavior Therapy:
Research shows that behavior therapy is an important part of treatment for children with ADHD. ADHD affects not only a child’s ability to pay attention or sit still at school, it also affects relationships with family and other children. 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 can include behavior therapy training for parents, behavior therapy with children, or a combination. Teachers can also use behavior therapy to help reduce problem behaviors in the classroom.
In parent training in behavior therapy, parents learn new skills or strengthen their existing skills to teach and guide their children and to manage their behavior.
In behavior therapy with children, the therapist works with the child to learn new behaviors to replace behaviors that don’t work or cause problems.
ADHD and the Classroom:
The symptoms of ADHD, inability to pay attention, difficulty sitting still, difficulty controlling impulses, can make it particularly hard for children with ADHD to do well in school. It is important for teachers to have the needed skills to help children manage their ADHD. However, since the majority of children with ADHD are not enrolled in special education classes, their teachers will most likely be regular education teachers who might know very little about ADHD and could benefit from assistance and guidance.
These are some tips to share with teachers for classroom success:
Make assignments clear – check with the student to see if they understood what they need to do
Give positive reinforcement and attention to positive behavior
Make sure assignments are not long and repetitive. Shorter assignments that provide a little challenge without being too hard are best. Allow time for movement and exercise
Communicate with parents on a regular basis
Use a homework folder to limit the number of things the child has to track
Be sensitive to self-esteem issues
Minimize distractions in the classroom
Involve the school counselor or psychologist
Further information about Behavior therapy and ADHD in the Classroom is available here:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/treatment.html
Disclaimer: The Autism Telemedicine Company does not endorse or recommend the use of any medication or therapy on this website, nor does it dispense medical or other professional advice, nor does it prescribe medication. The content on this site is informational only and does not, nor is it intended to replace the professional advice or guidance of the child's or adult's treating provider, nor does it constitute medical or professional advice. See also Disclaimer and Terms of Service pages.
Updated: September 8, 2022.