t highly expensive to have ongoing, long-term therapy for a child.
CDC officials said Tuesday that they hope this will change.
"One of our points of raising this awareness today is to let insurers know this evidence has been reviewed carefully. ... We really feel this is an appropriate intervention that ought to be covered," Schuchat said.
ADHD in its most severe form can be very serious. Studies have shown that children with the condition have higher rates of dropping out of school or having sustaining injuries that can take them to emergency rooms. Even when it's milder, children who have trouble completing tasks or concentrating can be at risk for low self-esteem.
Treatment guidelines for kids with ADHD, first described in the diagnostic manual for psychiatrists in 1980 as attention deficit disorder, have been a moving target over the years and vary dramatically by country. The United States is somewhat of an anomaly because its recommendations allow for medication as a first-line treatment for children with ADHD ages 6 to 18; many other countries recommend trying a mix of lifestyle changes, counseling and behavior therapy before moving on to drugs.
But the most recent U.S. guidelines, issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011, represent a movement towards nonmedical interventions.
In past recommendations issued in 2000 and 2001, parents were given a choice between drugs and behavioral therapy. In the 2011 version, parents were told they should "preferably" be using medication and behavioral therapy at the same time.
The section geared at the youngest children, ages 4-5, was even more explicit about the potential benefits of parent- or teacher-led behavior therapy as the first line of treatment. Only if that therapy does not provide "significant improvement" or the child has "moderate to severe" symptoms, should doctors prescribe medications, according to the recommendations.
CDC officials emphasized that they know behavioral therapy is not a "practical" option for some and that it is working with parents to try to expand the availability and accessibility of the treatments through things like future online resources.