Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents

Brian P. Daly, PhD, is associate professor and department head of psychological and brain sciences at Drexel University. Dr. Daly is past president of the Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association and recipient of grant funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Sixers Youth Foundation, Shire Pharmaceuticals, and Justice Resource Institute. He currently serves on the editorial board of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, as well as on the advisory committees for several nonprofit organizations.Aimee K. Hildenbrand, PhD, is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, an assistant research scientist at Nemours Children's Health, and a pediatric psychologist at Nemours Children's Hospital Delaware. Dr. Hildenbrand's research program aims to improve delivery of pediatric health care to optimize pain management and psychosocial outcomes for youth with chronic illness, with a particular focus on pediatric sickle cell disease and cancer.Shannon G. Litke, BA, is a doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Drexel University working under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Daly. Ms. Litke's interests include mechanisms of psychosocial treatment for child and adolescent trauma and anxiety disorders. She is particularly interested in improving interventions for at-risk youth from underserved communities.Ronald T. Brown, PhD, ABPP, is the Dean of the School of Integrated Health Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.Dr. Brown has been the past president of the University of North Texas at Dallas and also is the past president of the Associationof Psychologists in Academic Health Centers and the Society of Pediatric Psychology of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Bown has published over 300 ar ticles and chapters as well as 12 books related to childhood psychopathologyand pediatric psychology.

A comprehensive but impressively brief book that willquickly become a recommended resource for folks in graduate training programsand for practicing psychologists alike ... A gem in an overwhelming booklandscape.As a provider treating and assessing ADHD for morethan 15 years, it is infrequent that I find a book that captures my attentionlike this one did. I enthusiastically recommend it to colleagues.Reviewed by Dr Cami Winkelspecht, Wilmington, DE, in IndependentPractitioner (summer 2024)“…the authors pre­sentedreaders with a concise and practical guide to the evaluation and treatment ofADHD. ADHD in Children and Adolescents is an excel­lent resource forgraduate students and school psy­chologists who wish to obtain a refresher onthe current diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of ADHD.”Reviewedby Heather Nudd, PhD, NCSP,  in  COMMUNIQUÉ, 2025

• Acknowledgments1 Description1.1 Terminology1.2 Definition1.3 Epidemiology1.3.1 Prevalence and Incidence1.3.2 Sex1.3.3 Age1.3.4 Culture1.4 Course and Prognosis1.5 Differential Diagnosis1.5.1 Behavioral Conditions1.5.2 Emotional Conditions1.5.3 Neurologic or DevelopmentalConditions1.5.4 Environmental and PsychosocialFactors1.5.5 Physical and Medical Conditions1.6 Comorbidity1.6.1 ODD/CD1.6.2 Anxiety1.6.3 Mood1.6.4 Bipolar Disorder1.6.5 Learning Disorder1.6.6 Tics/ASD1.6.7 Substance Use Disorders1.6.8 Sleep Issues1.7 Diagnosis1.7.1 Diagnostic Interviews1.7.2 Rating Scales1.7.3 Psychoeducational Testing1.7.4 Neuropsychological Testing1.7.5 Laboratory Testing2 Theories and Models of ADHD in Children2.1 Neurobiological Factors in ADHD2.1.1 Genetic Contributions2.1.2 Neurological Factors2.1.3 Cognitive Determinants2.2 Environmental Risk Factors2.2.1 Pre-, Peri-, and Postnatal Factors2.2.2 Environmental Toxins2.2.3 Dietary Factors2.3 Psychosocial Factors2.4 Interactions Between Neurobiological,Environmental, and Psychosocial Factors3 Diagnosis and Treatment Indications3.1 Assessment Procedures3.1.1 General Considerations3.1.2 Developmental History3.1.3 Clinical Interviews3.1.4 Behavioral Rating Scales3.1.5 Differential Diagnosis/Comorbidities3.1.6 Testing3.2 The Decision-Making Process3.3 Treatment Considerations4 Treatment4.1 Methods of Treatment4.1.1 Psychopharmacology4.1.2 Stimulant Medications4.1.3 Nonstimulant Medications4.1.4 Psychosocial/Behavioral Therapies4.1.5 Behavioral Parent Training4.1.6 Behavioral Peer Interventions4.1.7 Behavioral Classroom Management4.1.8 Academic Interventions andOrganizational Skills Training4.1.9 School Accommodations4.1.10 Neurofeedback and CognitiveTraining4.1.11 Psychoeducation4.2 Mechanisms of Action4.3 Efficacy and Prognosis4.4 Variations and Combinations of Methods4.5 Problems in Carrying Out the Treatment4.6 Multicultural Issues5 Case Vignettes6 Further Reading7 References8 Appendix: Tools and Resources