ADHD is a common condition that is often identified when a child starts preschool for the first time. It is characterized by the inability of the child to pay attention or focus. Your preschool teacher may discuss the possibility of your child having the condition, but you should have any diagnosis done by a professional before you accept the possibility that your child has ADHD.
ADHD is listed by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a serious public health problem that causes significant impairment in school performance and socialization, and for which there is limited effectiveness of current treatments. Often drugs such as Ritalin or methylpenidate is given to preschoolers with ADHD. The drug acts as a stimulant that boosts attention and curbs impulsiveness and hyperactivity. While these drugs can work for a preschooler, there could be side effects and complications from using the drug. And, the drug doesn’t always have the desired effect.
New research is working on targeting the specific area of the brain that is responsible for attention. With a smaller more precise target, the chances of finding new drugs and making the old ones work better increases.
Recently, scientists in London have found the brain circuits that play a key role in helping people pay attention. This could help researchers find out what goes wrong in the brain that leads to ADHD. The research also has implications for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that behavioral interventions were specifically effective for preschoolers with ADHD. At the very early stages of the disorder (the preschool years), a study conducted at Lehigh University and funded by the NIMH found that parent education either alone or combined with a multicomponent intervention (individualized interventions in the home, in day care or in preschool) was a highly effective treatment. Problem behavior decreased in the children and social skills improved.
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