Comparison
Studies have shown that parent training is effective in enhancing the outcomes of preschoolers with ADHD. Preschoolers are generally between the ages of 4 and 5, and parent behavior training is said to be the most effective intervention for first-line treatment for most preschoolers (Salari & Thorell, 2015). However, medications can still be effective especially for the preschoolers who portray acute symptoms of ADHD. There is inadequate evidence on the effectiveness of parent-behavior training for children over the age of 6 who have ADHD. Studies show that parent behavior training is beneficial in the long term particularly for children above the age of six.
On the other hand, medications can be used in children of all ages and are equally effective in the treatment of ADHD symptoms. This is fundamental because the stimulants found in most of these medications work to alleviate the ADHD symptoms by balancing and increasing the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain (Scrandis, 2018). Drugs such as the methylphenidate have been found to be effective for preschoolers and more effective than the usual care for children above the age of 6. Other medications can still be effective for children above the age of six especially in the cases of specific symptoms.
Before the introduction of ADHD medications in the 1970s, the treatment of ADHD was mainly through behavioral therapy. Due to the concerns raised on the mounting dosages as well as the side effects of drugs, clinical research has made considerable efforts to revisit behavioral therapy techniques (Swords, Hennessy & Heary, 2011). Whereas behavioral therapy provides a long-term difference in the treatment of ADHD, stimulant medications can help patients’ behave and enhance their concentration. Studies have shown that behavioral therapies focus on minimizing impulsivity while at the same time fostering positive, long-standing habits that can eventually assist in replacing the existing high doses of medical treatment in children and adolescents.
In comparison to the cost-effectiveness, behavioral therapy intervention for the treatment of ADHD symptoms has been found to be cheaper than medication. Some studies have also found out that medications can escalate the behavioral problems for the ADHD children which may include their propensity to experiments with alcohol and drugs. Consequently, they may tend to portray delinquent behavior as compared to other children treated through the non-medical interventions (Pelham, William E, & Fabiano, 2008). Moreover, ADHD medications tend to wear off with time while the alternative behavioral therapy is long lasting.
Medication
By 2007, about 2.7 million stimulant drugs were being used to treat children and adolescents. However, new studies have shown these medications are not necessarily the remedy they have been presumed to be. In the U.S medication has been considered as the first-line of treatment for 90 percent of children with ADHD. A study by Pelham Jr, William E., & Fabiano (2008) found out that stimulants were most effective if used as second-line or supplemental treatments alternative for those who required it and smaller doses than customarily recommended (Pelham, William E, & Fabiano, 2008).