ADHD has been recognized for more than a century. Although both behavior therapy and medications improve the behavior of children with ADHD, long-term management is a team effort. With the appropriate help, children's symptoms of hyperactivity, distractibility, or impulsivity may be controlled. They can develop confidence and a feeling of control and success. Without help, these children will continue to struggle, and families may be less than successful in helping their children. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new set of guidelines regarding the treatment of children with ADHD. The guidelines include¹:

• Primary care doctors should establish a treatment plan that recognizes ADHD as a chronic condition.
• Physicians, parents, and children should work together with teachers to set goals that will help the child manage with ADHD.
• When needed, doctors should recommend behavior therapy and/or stimulant medication to improve specific symptoms in children with ADHD.
• If a treatment plan is not working, the doctor, parents, and child should meet to re-evaluate the diagnosis and treatment to find where things went wrong and to decide on a solution that will help.
• The doctor should regularly meet with the person who has ADHD and gather information from those closely associated with their every day life (eg, parents, supervisors, teachers, etc).

The child's treatment plan should be reassessed and reevaluated as he or she ages and as his or her needs may change. According to research, 40% to 80% of children with ADHD continue to meet the criteria into adolescence² and 50% to 65% continue to meet the criteria of ADHD into late adolescence and early adulthood.³

It's also important to remember how big a role a parent or caregiver plays in the treatment of ADHD. While he or she must be informed, he or she must also be an advocate who is actively seeking the recognition and proper help that a child needs, as well as using that knowledge to maximize the growth of the child and family. It is not an easy task, but no one else is better equipped to tackle it than a caring parent. And with today's new medical developments, there is additional hope and promise for treating ADHD.