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LindseyHannibal
RonChristiansen
English1010
April22,2015
APathtoTreatment
ResearchQuestion:AreweovermedicatingchildrenwithADHD?
IwasinterestedinthisquestionbecauseIwenttoahighschoolwhereitseemedalotof
peoplehadprescriptionstoAdderall.IsawkidsmisuseitduringAPtests,Isawkidswhosit
aroundinabasementdoingnothing.Iwonderedifweshouldbeprescribingsuchastimulants
drugstochildrenasyoungas4yearsold.Isetouttofindwhattheprocessforprescribinga
medicationforADHDwas.Ifitistheonlyoptionfortreatmentorifitwasbeingprescribed
haphazardly.
Thereareseveralwaystoviewtheissueofprescribingstimulantstochildrenwhoare
diagnosedwithADHD.Thevaryingviewpointscomeaboutbecausetheseprescriptionsprovide
aconvenientshorttermtreatmentthatmanyparentsrelyonasthesoletreatmentmethodfor
theirchildren.Someparentswilldoanythingtoavoidputtingtheirchildrenonpsychiatric
drugs.Otherparentsseethesolutionasahealthycombinationofmedicationsandalternative
therapies.
ThereisnodisputeintheefficacyofthesedrugsattreatingthesymptomsofADHD.
Medicationisthemostcommon,fastestresultingandeasiestwaytotreatADHD.Therearestill
somesideeffectsfromthedrug,tonameafew:sleepproblems,mooddisturbances,
new/worseninganxiety,stuntedgrowthandevendeathinchildrenwithheartproblems.The

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DEAconsidersstimulantstobeaScheduleIIdrugthathasahighpotentialforabuse.Scientists
areunsureofwhatcausesADHD,thesestimulantsaresimplypreventingthesymptomsof
ADHDandnotfixingtherootoftheproblem,stillwearewillingtojumpstraighttomedication
ifitmeansawellbehavedchild.
Currentlyadiagnosistakesplaceifachildexhibits6of9behaviorsandtheseverityof
ADHDisdependantonhowoftenthechildexhibitsthosebehaviors.Ifachildonlymeets5of
thosebehaviors,theyreceivelittletonohelpwiththeirproblems.AfteradiagnosisAlltoooften
thefirst,andonly,optiongivenismedication.Givingaprescriptioniseasierthandiscussing
alternativeoptionsthatarelesslikelytobecoveredbyinsurancecompaniesandtakemoretime
toseeresults.Ofcourse,thereareotheroptions.Therearebehaviortherapiesthathelpchildren
developskillstocontroltheirhyperactivityandimpulsivityandstrengthentheirconcentration
skills.Therearenewstudiesshowingthatbehavioralmodificationtherapy(orBMOD)canbe
justaseffectiveasmedication.
Therearealsospecializedschoolsthatarebetterequippedtoteachchildrenwith
disorderssuchasADHD.MycousinisjuniorinhighschoolwithsevereADHDwhohas
recentlyswitchedtoaspecializedschool,centeredaround4H,wheretheydofarmchoresinthe
morningbeforelearning.Sheexplainedtomehowdoingthephysicalworkinthemorningmade
iteasierforhertofocusintheafternoon.Simplyachangeinlifestylecanhelpreducesymptoms.
Theproblemisthattheseoptionsarerarelydiscussedinadoctorsvisitduringthediagnosisof
ADHD.
AtthispointinmyresearchIveconcludedthatwearentnecessarilyovermedicating
childrenwhichhavebeendiagnosed.Wemightinfactbemissingsomechildrenwhofalljust

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shortofdiagnosis,thatmightalsobenefitfrommedication.ADHDisarealdisorderand
medicationcanbethequickestwaytoresults,whichcanopenupopportunitiesforbehavior
modificationthatcanhelpequipachildwithtoolstomanageADHDontheirown.Itsagreat
oversimplificationtolookattheincreaseofprescriptionsoverthepastdecadeandsaythattoo
manykidsareonmedicationforthis.Itcouldbeariseinthenumberofchildrenactually
developingit,thatdoctorsarebetteratdiagnosingitorthatparentsaremoreaware.Idobelieve
thatdoctorsandparentsshouldbeusingskepticismwhenprescribingtochildrenbutthebest
treatmentisanindividualizedtreatmentbetweenachildsdoctor,parentsandeducators.

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