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Full text: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011116/hl/adhd_1.html

Friday November 16 1:59 PM ET

Survey: Many Kids with ADHD Are Not Being Treated

By Suzanne Rostler

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many parents of children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be doing more to help their child succeed in school and get along with peers and family, results of a national survey suggest.

According to the report by researchers at New York University, 45% of parents of children with ADHD said behavior therapy had been recommended for their child but only 21% had acted on the advice. Similarly, 89% of parents said their child had been prescribed medication to treat the disorder but only 55% said their child was currently taking the medication.

However, parents who used behavioral therapy or medication reported that these treatments improved their child's academic performance and ability to participate in extracurricular activities.

Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, director of the New York University Child Study Center, which developed the survey, said many parents may feel stigmatized by their child's diagnosis and do not want outsiders, such as the school nurse, to be involved in treatment. But there are now medications for ADHD that can be taken before school and don't need to be taken again until the end of the day, he told Reuters Health in an interview.

ADHD ``is an all-day, everyday problem that requires very specialized treatment or else kids will get picked on, have trouble in school and in after-school activities, and face social rejection,'' Koplewicz explained. Ultimately, he added, the disorder will affect the child's self-esteem.

ADHD is characterized by impulsive behavior, difficulty paying attention and academic and behavioral problems. Up to 5% of school-age children are estimated to have ADHD, with boys diagnosed up to four times more often than girls.

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines aimed at helping pediatricians treat school-age children with ADHD. According to their report, stimulant medication is at least somewhat effective at reducing symptoms and improving relationships.

The national survey of parents of more than 500 children aged 6 to 14 also revealed the extent to which the disorder permeates peer and family relationships, and impairs a child's social development.

For instance, parents of children with the disorder were more than three times more likely to report that their child had problems getting along with children in the neighborhood and half as likely to report that their child has many good friends, compared with parents of children without the disorder.

And 8% parents of children with ADHD said their child did not have any good friends, compared with 1% of parents of children without ADHD.

Children with the disorder were also more than twice as likely to get picked on at school, according to parents. And 22% of parents of kids with ADHD reported that their child had behavioral or social problems that limited his or her participation in after-school activities, compared with 7% of parents whose kids did not have ADHD.

Nearly three quarters of parents (72%) said their child with ADHD had trouble getting along with siblings or other family members, compared with just over half (53%) of parents of children without ADHD.

The survey results support the findings of another recent study showing that children with ADHD are more likely to enter adolescence with few close friendships and less peer acceptance.

In other findings, 50% of parents of children with ADHD reported that another family member had been diagnosed with the disorder, supporting the theory that ADHD is at least partly genetic.

The survey was sponsored by McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals.