A META-ANALYSIS OF PHARMACOLOGICAL AND ALLIED THERAPY IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral disorder of childhood, having neurogenic origin. Children with ADHD are characterized by lack of focus and attention on tasks that typically developing children are able to perform. The increased prevalence of ADHD globally may be attributed to increased awareness of the condition in society, and also its genuine rise in children. The prevalence of children with ADHD at CSLHS estimates to four per month. These children warrant treatment by a team of medical and allied health professionals who are psychologists, neurologists, pediatricians, behavior therapist, occupational and speech-language therapists and remedial educationists. A meta-analysis was carried out to review three clinical trials conducted in developed countries that addressed the efficacy and effectiveness of stimulant and non-stimulant drugs given to children with ADHD, in concomitance with behavior therapy. Medication along with the allied therapy services presented globally better results in the children with ADHD, with fulfilled educational needs and improved quality of life for their families. Appropriate attentional skills, are a key pre-requisite for acquisition and learning of communication skills in all modalities, which manifest a child's academic success, through childhood and adolescence. Further, children presenting with ADHD are challenged by the dearth of early intervention in developing countries; hence an appropriate combination of pharmacological, behavior therapy along with parent and teacher training can lead to their successful rehabilitation.