What Is the Best Treatment Method for a Child with Adhd?

Rebecca Butterworth

4/01/06

RP #5

Research Question: What is the best treatment method for a child with ADHD?

Thesis Statement: Proper diagnoses is the first step to any treatment plan for ADHD in children, then the doctor and parent create a treatment plan, this is when the decision to use medication, behavioral therapy, herbal medication, and/or alternative treatments is made.

Full-Sentence Outline

I) Under diagnosed or over diagnosed? Probably both! Parents and professionals are faced with a challenging task when it comes to treating Attention Deficient Hyper Disorder (ADHD or ADD) in children.

A) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder of children, afflicting about 35% in the U.S. It is often believed to be a physiological brain disorder with a genetic component.

B) Children with ADHD are impulsive, overactive, inattentive, poor learners, and are frequently disruptive, aggressive and uncontrollable.

C) The range of medication chooses and treatments keep extending

D) There are not many long term studies done of ADHD in children.

II) The initiation of treatment for ADHD requires an accurate diagnosis.

A) Doctors have not yet found a one hundred percent accurate way to diagnose ADHD.

i) Since children with ADHD often have other mental problems it is hard to distinguish what symptoms come from which problem.

ii) There is no independent valid test to detect ADHD

iii) Not many long term studies have been done on children with ADHD.

III) The treatment plan is the most important step in the processes of treating ADHD.

A) There are two main goals for a treatment plan

i) The first goal is to help your child learn to control his or her own behavior.

ii) The second goal is to help families create an atmosphere in which their child can grow and learn.

B) Treatment plans often are changed or slightly altered a few times before the proper treatment plan is found.

C) The most highly recommended treatment plan is the combination of medication and behavioral therapy.

IV) Medication is the most popular course of action taken by a doctors and parents.

A) Stimulants are the “best” known treatments for ADHD but it is also the most controversial.

i) The first reason it is a controversial issue is because of the increase in prescriptions being prescribed to children.

ii) Then there are the side effects that stimulants may and may not have on a child.

B) Nonstimulants have just recently been approved and they tend to not have as many side effects as a stimulant

C) The option of antidepressants is not as common as the other two and there has recently been a warning issued by the FDA about increased risk of suicide in children.

V) Because of the controversy surrounding stimulants and antidepressants