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Doctors urged to consider ADHD in preschoolers
The American Academy of Pediatrics has revised its ADHD treatment guidelines, giving doctors a green light to prescribe drugs even to preschoolers if behavioral efforts fail. It should be noted, however that AAP urges parents and physicians to first try behavioral interventions, such as group or individual parent training. The panel said emerging evidence makes it possible to diagnose and manage ADHD in children from ages 4 to 18 (the previous AAP guidelines, from 2001, covered children ages 6 to 12).
I have to say, every single person I've known who's had a kid diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, or any mental health issue that requires medication, knew something was up with the kid at a very early age. Some are saying this is dangerous, that it will invite an inappropriate glut of medication for preschoolers. But others say it actually helps to normalize this condition, avoid the stigma, because you treat it like you would any chronic disease and increase their chances of succeeding in school.
The new guidelines raise tough questions for parents. Some children have shown to greatly benefit from drug therapy. But many critics say Americans generally are too quick to embrace taking a pill as a fast solution, over discipline or lifestyle changes.
I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I know kids who have benefitted greatly and some who don't seem to rise to the level of medication. I do think some of the slams against medication are unfair. One doctor I know said for some kids it's like eyeglasses. You may be able to get along without your glasses, but it sure makes things easier when you can focus.
--Sharon Kennedy Wynne
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THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
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Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
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