FRIDAY, Oct. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Medication Guide," a new online resource for parents of children and adolescents with ADHD, was released Oct. 2 in English and Spanish by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Psychiatric Association.
The guide covers many common concerns about ADHD, including symptoms, treatment options, types of medications, side effects and co-occurring disorders.
"Effective treatments are available to help manage the inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness symptoms of ADHD, and can improve a person's ability to function at home, at school, and in other places," the authors state in the introduction to the report, which was developed by a consensus group of medical professionals and parent advocacy groups who did not accept any pharmaceutical industry financial or editorial support.
The authors emphasize that only health care professionals who are qualified to evaluate children with ADHD should assess possible ADHD symptoms and that only professionals who are trained in ADHD diagnosis and management should treat ADHD. "They also should have a thorough understanding of normal child development (such as pediatricians, developmental pediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and pediatric neurologists)," the authors state. "Treatment may include medication, behavioral therapy, or a combination of the two."
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