Therapies for hyperactive children: comparisons, combinations, and compromises.

Comparative treatment studies of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are impeded by methodological quandaries, constricted focus, and the heterogeneity of ADHD children, research designs, measures, and treatment responsiveness. Comparisons are drawn among three major treatment modalities for ADHD: stimulant treatments, primarily methylphenidate; behavioral treatments, including contingency management and parent training; and cognitive-behavioral or self-regulation therapies. We identify a dozen "...abilities," such as communicability, controllability, and constrainability, that compel consideration and that convert either-or questions about the single best treatment into more comprehensive assessment and intervention strategies. The profusion of problems called ADHD mandates multimodal approaches not only to optimize therapeutic impact but also to inform theories of developmental psychopathology and therapeutic change.