What medications are prescribed for ADD children?
Medications can dramatically improve attention span and reduce hyperactive and impulsive behavior. Psychostimulants have been used to treat attentional deficits in children since the 1940s. Antidepressants, although used less frequently to treat ADD, have been shown to be quite effective for the management of this disorder in some children. How do psychostimulants such as Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Ritalin (methylphenidate), and Cylert (pemoline) help? Seventy to eighty percent of ADD children respond in a positive manner to psychostimulant medication. Exactly how these medicines work is not known. However, benefits for children can be quite significant and are most apparent when concentration is required. In classroom settings, on-task behavior and completion of assigned tasks is increased, socialization with peers and teacher is improved, and disruptive behaviors (talking out, demanding attention, getting out of seat, noncompliance with requests, breaking rules) are reduced. The
