Medications and ADD – Do they work?
Medicating a child with ADD is a difficult decision for parents. None of us want to put our children on unnecessary medications. Before making the decision to medicate your child or allowing your doctor to prescribe medication, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does the school environment your child is in provide the proper structure, interventions, and instruction to remediate ADD symptoms?
- Does your child need medication all the time or only at school?
- Has the medication been approved for use in pediatrics?
- Make sure the medication is NOT being used off-label (meaning it has been approved for one use but is being used for another).
- Make sure that you start with the brand name of the drug and not the generic
Remember that medication is not going to teach your child organizational skills, social skills, attention skills, reading, or math. Medications can help with fidgeting and hyperactivity but unless the underlying cognitive skill are remediated, the medications will not be successful in the long term. Medications should be used short term in conjunction with a holistic treatment approach.
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