Alternatives to drugs for ADHD preschooler

BOSTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder has become the most common mental health diagnosis for U.S. children aged 3 to 5.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve ADHD drugs for children under age 6. The Harvard Mental Health Letter advised the first large, controlled trial of methylphenidate -- also known as Ritalin and others -- in children aged 3 to 5 found the drug wasn't quite as effective as it is in school-age children and the newsletter urged parents to look first at other ways of dealing with ADHD pre-schoolers.

The newsletter advised proceeding slowly in making a diagnosis. Preschoolers with ADHD are more than rambunctious but show chaos at home or at day care, they are unable to wait their turn or think before acting.

The newsletter suggested that before resorting to drugs for ADHD pre-schoolers families should try:

-- Parent training, which is based on the belief that parental negligence, intrusiveness, or harsh discipline might trigger hyperactive behavior in a child with a predisposition to poor impulse control.

-- Setting appropriate limits and using moderate rewards and punishments.

-- Specialized day care.