ADHD and Medication
ADHD, or Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, is a behavior disorder in children and adults. ADHD generally has three types, including Inattentive behavior, Hyperactive/Impulsive behavior, or a combination of the two. Medication is commonly used to treat the symptoms of Hyperactivity and/or Inattentiveness in children (and adults).
However, researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo believe that medication shouldn't be used as often as it currently is for treatment of ADHD in children. For one, researchers aren't certain about the long-term effects of medication prescribed for ADHD. Also, they state that such medication has been known to stunt growth of children by up to two inches in children who have been prescribed high dosages.
Furthermore, the study emphasizes that, while medication can help with symptoms as restlessness, fidgeting or impulsiveness in a classroom, they don't directly address ADHD's impairments
according to researcher Greg Fabiano, Ph.D. Those impairments often include difficulty with peer, parental and family relationships, as well as difficulty with math and reading.
The study suggests strategies including a self-paced computer math program as well as peer-tutoring, which has demonstrated some success by researchers. These techniques have shown to improve math and reading performance and an improvement in behavior. The study also stresses the importance of teaching behavior modification techniques to children, parents, and teachers. (From Monitor on Psychology, October 2008).
Psychotherapy is a central component in the successful treatment of ADHD as it addresses behavioral modification for the child. Also, parents and teachers can gain supportive coaching from therapists with developing and monitoring behavioral modification programs. As a result, children learn new ways of developing awareness and self-monitoring.