The Best First-Line Treatment of ADHD in Very Young Children

Preschoolers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or disruptive behaviors seem to do well with parent behavior training.

Behavior problems in preschoolers are increasingly acknowledged, especially in structured day care and preschools where nonprimary caretakers notice the aberrant behaviors. To assess the best treatment approaches for children under 6 years old with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or disruptive behaviors that predict later ADHD, these authors reviewed interventional studies. To analyze studies with the greatest methodological strength, the authors identified only eight sufficiently strong studies on parent behavior training (PBT) and one on methylphenidate, and no multicomponent, nonpharmacological studies.

Significant improvement in child behavior with PBT, which does not use teachers' ratings or child observations, was consi…

Reviewing Author

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose