Preschoolers’ age 3 to 5 years, who are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), as well as a another disorder, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder, or an anxiety disorder probably won’t respond to treatment with the stimulant methylphenidate. PATS (Preschoolers with ADHD Treatment Study) was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). While previous reports indicated that low doses of methylphenidate were safe to use at this age, the data analyzed suggested that increasing the dosage of the medication would not make it any more effective.

Data was analyzed from 165 children. Researchers determined that children who had ADHD and not more than one coexisting disorder were the most likely to respond to methylphenidate regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. Children suffering from three or more coexisting disorders showed no response to this type of ADHD treatment. The children with three or more coexisting disorders were more likely to live in a single parent household, with a lower socioeconomic status, and less educated parents.

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In August, NIMH released the results of a study they funded on two alternative ADHD interventions for preschoolers designed to reduce the symptoms of ADHD. Preschoolers along with their parents were randomly assigned to either a multi-component intervention (MCI) group or a parent education (PE) program. Researchers were a little surprised when both groups showed equally significant improvements after one year. They had expected to see more improvement among those receiving the intensive intervention through MCI than those receiving training in parenting skills.

The children’s social skills improved and their behavior problems diminished. The results confirm that behavioral interventions can be effective with preschoolers who suffer from ADHD. Clearly, intervention needs to occur before the poor behavior patterns become ingrained while the children are still young enough to respond readily to the training.

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A significant number of children in the foster care system who may become available for adoption are diagnosed with ADHD.

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Photo Credit 2007 Julia Fuller