Volume 37 · Number 9
SEPTEMBER 2007

Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Integrative Approaches

By Asma J. Sadiq, MD

Increasing numbers of Americans are turning to complementary and alternative medical therapies (CAM) for themselves and their children. A host of explanations for this increase has been surveyed and researched. A recent study reported 54% of parents using CAM therapies for their children, but only 11% ever discussing them with their physicians. The most important attraction of CAM therapies for patients and parents is the belief that they are “a more natural therapy” and that they have greater control over treatments. Dissatisfaction with the process or the results of conventional care was noted in a small but increasing number within the population studied. Concerns regarding side effects and long-term use of medications are also factors fueling this quest, particularly in the case of children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Asma J. Sadiq, MD, is Director, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Beth Israel Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY.

Address correspondence to: Asma J. Sadiq, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 10 Union Square East, New York, NY 10003; fax 212-844-8338; asadiq@bethisraelny.org.

Dr. Sadiq disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

1. Discuss complementary and alternative medical therapies for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
2. Describe the neurobiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
3. Review a multi-modal treatment plan for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.