Clinician Administered Treatment Resources

According to Division 53 of the American Psychological Association Behavior Parent Training, Behavioral Classroom Interventions, and stimulant medications such as Concerta®, Metadate®, Ritalin®, and Adderall®, are well established treatments for children with ADHD. Several other interventions are probably efficacious for the treatment of ADHD in children, such as social skills training with generalized components and summer treatment programs.

Descriptions of Evidence-Based Interventions for ADHD

It has been suggested that a combination of both behavior therapy and medications is more effective than either treatment alone.2 Some practitioners recommend using medications as a first line intervention, and adding behavior therapy only when medications do not work. The argument behind this is that medication is cheaper and easier to administer than behavior therapy. However, others argue that behavior therapy should be used first because it is necessary to treat all functional impairments, reduces the dose of medication, and eliminates the need to give children psychoactive substances.2 More

Behavior Therapy

Stimulation Medication

Pros

Cons

Pros

Cons

Research shows that it can be effective

Does not work for all children

Research shows that it can be effective

Does not work for all children

Avoids the need to use psychoactive substances in children

More expensive in the short run than medications

Cheaper in the short run than therapy

Does not work when not taking the medication or missed dosages.

Children treated with behavior therapy may be able to function well without taking long-term medications

Requires more parental and teacher involvement

Requires little time and effort

Does not help all areas of functioning equally (e.g., parenting behavior, peer relationships, academic achievement)

Possible side-effects such as loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, social withdrawal more

May not be an option for certain children with certain medical conditions

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Third Edition : A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment

Evidence-Based Treatment for Children and Adolescents

Therapy Advisor
ADHD information for providers. You will have to register, which is free of charge, to view some information on this site.

School of Psychiatry and MADI Resource Center
Information about identifying ADHD, screening tools, and treatment information.

Resources for Primary Care Providers

Practice Guidelines

Diagnosis and Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Primary Care for School Age Children and Adolescents
Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement

Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of the School-Aged Child With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
American Academy of Pediatrics

Other Resources

School of Psychiatry and MADI Resource Center
Information about identifying ADHD, screening tools, and treatment information.

The Child with ADHD: Using the AAP Clinical Practice Guideline
Incorporate the American Academy of Pediatrics ADHD practice guideline into your practice, and download a patient information handout.

Prevalence and Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Primary Care Settings
Research review article for primary care physicians.

1National Institutes of Mental Health (2003). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Revised. Retrieved 4/10/06

2Pelham, W. E., & Waschbusch, D. A. (in press). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In J. E. Fisher & W. O’Donohue (Eds.). Practitioner’s guidelines for evidence based psychotherapy. New York: Kluwer.