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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Most Docs Don't Follow ADHD Treatment Guidelines for Preschoolers: Study

By Robert Preidt
MedicineNet.com
Originally published on May 4, 2013

About 90 percent of pediatric specialists who diagnose and manage attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool children do not follow treatment guidelines published recently by the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to a new study.

Some prescribe medications too soon, while others do not give the young patients drugs even as a second-line treatment, according to study author Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., and colleagues.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommend that behavior therapy be the first treatment approach for preschoolers with ADHD, and that treatment with medication should be used only when behavior-management counseling is unsuccessful.  (Emphasis added)

The entire story is here.

Click here to review the guidelines.

A similar story can be found in Time.