To Medicate, or Not to Medicate?

For some, like Sonia, it was a matter of age. "My son was just 5 years old when he was diagnosed with ADHD, and I thought that was too young for medication," she says.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. They almost always recommend that, before age 6, you start with behavior therapy.

"Parents often ask if they can try other treatments first before they turn to medication, and there are several methods that are effective," says Richard Gallagher, PhD, of the Institute for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and Behavior Disorders at the NYU Child Study Center. He encourages parents to try other things while they look into the risks and benefits of medications.