The New York Times (9/20, Sohn) reported that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) “can affect both children and adults, but it has increasingly become a common condition of childhood.” Even though “the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend giving children a diagnosis of” AD/HD “until after age four, one study found that nearly half of the 237,000 two-to-five-year-olds who had an” AD/HD “diagnosis in 2011 and 2012 were diagnosed before age four.” Medications to treat the condition, particularly “short-acting amphetamines…have been approved for children as young as three,” and “liquid, dissolvable and chewable formulations of methylphenidate” are now “available for little kids who can’t yet swallow” tablets. But, “with concerns over – and a lack of data about – how such medications might affect young brains in the long term, some researchers are trying to spread the word about other, nonmedication options, such as behavior therapies and training programs for parents of preschoolers with the condition.”
Related Links:
— “Your Toddler Has A.D.H.D. Should You Medicate?, “Emily Sohn, The New York Times, September 20, 2019