ADHD Treatments
There are several effective and clinically proven options to treat people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The most popular and best (both effectively, and cost efficiently) way to treat ADHD has been with stimulant medication. The most common stimulant medications are methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, and mixed amphetamine salts. Treatment costs vary greatly depending on the severity of ADHD. Medication management is the least expensive, followed by behavioral treatment, and combined treatment. Medical management was more effective, yet more costly than community care, and more cost effective than combination treatment alone and behavioral treatment alone. A recently published study provides an in-depth review of the cost effectiveness of alternative evidence-based treatment strategies, extending findings reported earlier, and concluding that long-acting medications generally seem to provide good value for money. Comorbid (relating to two diseases that occur together, i.e. depression and ADHD) disorders make finding the right treatment and diagnosis much more costly and time consuming than a non comorbid disorder. Having a comorbid disorder complicates the treatment and diagnosis of ADHD so it is better to treat a comorbid disorder as soon as possible. Some cases of comorbidities, including depression or an anxiety disorder, are best treated with the combined treatment of psychosocial therapies and medication and are better then when only present is ADHD.
Treatment choices for AD/HD
ADHD can be treated by any physician MD or DO (usually family practice or pediatrician), psychiatrists, psychiatric/mental health, nurse practitioners, and neurologists; some practitioners of this type specialize in treating children with ADHD and others specialize in the treatment of adults with ADHD. Children’s hospitals that have psychiatric units with programs dedicated to treating ADHD are often a good place to receive treatment, but a psychiatrist’s or neurologist’s office will generally have staff who can understand and treat ADHD effectively.
The treatment provider can provide the child’s school with a written ADHD diagnosis that informs the school of accommodations that may aid the student in academic endeavors. In the United States, an educational institution must make accommodations for a child with ADHD which now requires a full psychological evaluation including a battery of tests and observational studies repeated every three years. These tests often pick up added learning diabilities which help qualify for even more benefits. If these test concure with the diagnosis, the school will enact a 504 or Individualize Educational Plan (IEP) for the student
Accommodations may include:
- Extended time for taking exams
- Extended due dates for homework
- A distraction-free environment during examination
- Permission to record lectures
- Copies of lecture notes
Further readings
Medications endorsed by American Psychiatric Association
Medications not endorsed by American Psychiatric Association
Concerns about the use of stimulant medication
Psychotherapeutic approaches
