Copyright @ 2007 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/

This practice parameter describes the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on the current scientific evidence and clinical consensus of experts in the field. This parameter discusses the clinical evaluation for ADHD, comorbid conditions associated with ADHD, research on the etiology of the disorder, and psychopharmacological and psychosocial interventions for ADHD. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2007;46(7):894Y921. Key Words: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, evaluation, treatment, practice parameter. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) is one of the most common childhood psychiatric conditions. It has been the focus of a great deal of scientific and clinical study during the past century. Upon reviewing the voluminous literature on ADHD, the American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs (Goldman et al., 1998) commented, BOverall, ADHD is one of the best-researched disorders in medicine, and the overall data on its validity are far more compelling than for many medical conditions. ^ Although scientists and clinicians debate the best way to diagnose and treat ADHD, there is no debate among competent and well-informed health care professionals that ADHD is a valid neurobiological condition that causes significant impairment in those whom it afflicts. These guidelines seek to lay out evidence-based guidelines for the effective diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. In this parameter, the term preschoolers refers to children ages 3 through 5 years, the term children refers to children ages 6 through 12 years, and the term adolescents refers to minors ages 13 through 17 years. Parent refers to parent or legal guardian. Patient refers to any minor with ADHD. The terminology in this practice parameter is consistent with that of DSM-IV