MEDICATION

Stimulant ADHD medicines such as Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta are either short-, intermediate- or long-acting and they regulate how much dopamine is released and taken up again in the brain. Strattera, or atomoxetine, is the first non-stimulant drug used to treat ADHD. Medication needs to be prescribed by a qualified healthcare professional after a thorough investigation.

Some children’s growth rates slow down if they are on ADHD medication. “This is highly individual, but overall the average reduction in height gain is around one centimetre per year, over the first three years of treatment,” says Dr Belsham. “In certain children, who experience a marked slowdown in growth, we have to come up with another plan, or sometimes even discontinue the treatment.” He emphasises that final adult height does not seem to be affected.

Another worry about Ritalin is that children using it will be at greater risk to become drug addicts later in life. Parents may be worried about this because there is some evidence that Ritalin is used as a “study drug” by students, or its use is encouraged in high-achieving families, even when there is no ADHD diagnosis. But “the overwhelming message from the scientific literature is that neither ADHD nor its treatment has much bearing at all on the likelihood of eventual substance abuse,” says Dr Belsham. “The most important factor influencing the risk for later drug abuse is the presence of conduct disorder. If anything, stimulant treatment into adolescence is actually protective against this outcome, probably because of reduced impulsiveness, better social functioning and improvements in self esteem, which have all been independently shown to minimise the risk of drug abuse.” Exercise boosts the brain’s dopamine levels, among other chemical reactions, which is great news for ADHD kids. Some progressive schools in the US have even substituted 10 minutes of stationary cycling or elliptical training on a machine for time-outs as “punishment”. Now there’s a thought... Screen engagement is particularly addictive to ADHD kids, because of the way interactive video games are structured to deliver regular dopamine hits. It’s totally understandable that parents of very disruptive children need the respite that the screen offers them. But it’s a double-edged sword: it both locks your child in and further removes him or her from what she may be struggling with – socialisation and school work.