Ritalin and other medications for children are they overpres

Solution

Ritalin debate:

Although some worry that medications like Ritalin are being over-prescribed, research shows that they help kids with ADHD.

The most common treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in both children and adults is stimulant medication, such as Ritalin.

Taking this medication typically results in fast but temporary improvements in both performance and social interaction.

In over 700 controlled research studies, it has been clearly demonstrated that psycho stimulants (Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, Cylert), when used properly, are safe and effective in treating symptoms of ADHD. Medication has been shown to improve self-control, attention, learning, persistence, and to reduce excessive physical activity and emotional outbursts in appropriately diagnosed clients.

Psycho stimulants are the only medical consensus treatment that strikes at the heart of ADHD. They increase the level of activity in the frontal brain structures that mediate these key functions. Without such treatment, these structures remain under active and the client continues to struggle with impulsivity in general and the above-noted symptoms, in particular.

The American Medical Association (AMA) recently published a review of two decades of studies about the use of Ritalin (Goldman, L.S., et al. [1998], Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents.