The UK Government’s drug watchdog has warned that Ritalin is being over-prescribed when trying to control unruly behaviour in children and it should be avoided altogether for kids under 5-years.

Inattentive and undisciplined children should instead be managed by parents who have undergone specialist training so they can handle and support their child.

The call comes after the NHS launched their new guidelines on ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) but doctors are warning that prescribed drugs are in fact being under-used.

3% of children and 2% of adults are affected by ADHD and doctors believe those children who are severely affected may suffer chronic psychiatric problems if left untreated by drugs such as Ritalin.

The latest guidelines recommend ADHD training and education programs for parents before drugs are administered so they can create a structured home environment, encourage concentration and attentiveness and learn to manage behaviour better.

New research seems to back up these guidelines with results that are highly effective helping children to perform better at school and live more normal lives. The programs also encourage involvement from teachers.

“When you meet kids with severe ADHD, the long-term outcomes are not good,” said Tim Kendall, joint director of the National Collaborating Centre on Mental Health and a consultant psychiatrist in Sheffield

“If left untreated they will probably end up with personality problems or continuing ADHD.”

“In a school of 1,400 pupils, there would be 10 to 15 children with severe ADHD who might need drug treatment.

“But in many parts of the country, where support was lacking for affected children and their families, there was an “over-reliance on medication”.

Children with ADHD are constantly mobile and always talking. Concentration levels are poor and they have few social skills such as interrupting conversations or pushing their way into a queue.

A child with ADHD will also struggle at school, both academically and socially. Many are bullied due to their condition.

ADHD can be caused by genetic influences as well as environmental with diet being implicated as one factor. The condition may develop in the womb through birth trauma that causes damage to the brain.

Alternative medicine and complementary therapy treatments for ADHD include: CBT, Psychotherapy, NLP and Nutrition.

Learn more about ADHD condition and treatments here