Kids on Medication: The Parent's Dilemma

A healthy debate of issues can be productive, but the pursuit of reliable, accurate information should be the objective of any discussion. How can parents decide what to do?

• There is no one-size-fits-all approach when treating children with any illness. Treatment for ADHD and other conditions can involve any or all of the following: behavior therapy, medication, parent counseling, educational modification. Not all children respond equally well to the same intervention.

• Mental health professionals specially trained to evaluate children are the best resource for parents concerned about their child's behavior and effective treatments. Treatment should always begin with a proper diagnostic evaluation of a child, taking into account multiple sources (home and school) and multiple aspects of a child's functioning. Continued monitoring is essential.

• School teachers and educational staff are experts at understanding children's learning and are essential for providing feedback to parents to insure the optimal management of a child's problems. They can provide valuable information about a child's functioning in an educational setting but should not be expected to perform as health care professionals and make treatment recommendations.

• Treatments for specific diseases -- asthma, cancer, anxiety, depression or ADHD -- must keep pace with the changing scientific findings. Parents should be sure that the treating professional stays abreast of research and tailor their child's treatment accordingly.

• Any treatment or medication carries risks. Untreated illness also causes risk. Parents and professionals must always work together to establish the optimal treatment while weighing the costs and benefits of any intervention.

• Parents are the best advocates for their children. Anything that enables them to be better-informed consumers and more savvy users of medical technology is of benefit to their children

References and Related Books

The MTA Cooperative Group (1999). A 14-month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry . 56, 1073-1077.

The MTA Cooperative Group (1999). Moderators and mediators of treatment response for children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The multimodal treatment study of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry . 56, 1088-1095.

AboutOurKids Related Articles

About Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Choosing a Mental Health Professional for Your Child: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How

Guide to Psychiatric Medications for Children and Adolescents

How to Be an Educated Consumer of Mental Health News

Message from the Surgeon General on Child Mental Health Month

About the NYU Child Study Center

The New York University Child Study Center is dedicated to increasing the awareness of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and improving the research necessary to advance the prevention, identification, and treatment of these disorders on a national scale. The Center offers expert psychiatric services for children, adolescents, young adults, and families with emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention. The Center's mission is to bridge the gap between science and practice, integrating the finest research with patient care and state-of-the-art training utilizing the resources of the New York University School of Medicine. The Child Study Center was founded in 1997 and established as the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry within the NYU School of Medicine in 2006. For more information, please call us at (212) 263-6622 or visit us at http://www.aboutourkids.org.