Children with ADHD are commonly medicated to help control the way their brain communicates with itself. Children with ADHD have trouble with alertness, hyperactivity, and memory. Medication can help a child to achieve a certain amount of control over their ADHD symptoms. Most of these medications are fairly quick acting while some are extended release medications.
There are two ADHD medications, stimulants and non-stimulants.
The two major types of medication for ADHD are stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants act on the brain by stimulating the production of dopamine which can help control motivation and emotional response. Non-stimulants increase the activity of norepinephrine in the brain and produce similar results as stimulants. Non-stimulants are used when the child develops a reaction to stimulants.
According to The Guardian, the dose of a stimulant that will be effective in a person is not necessarily related to their age, their weight or the severity of their symptoms.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Key takeaways
- Medication can help improve alertness, working memory and reduce hyperactivity. However, there is more than one medication out there.
- The two primary medications for ADHD are stimulants and non-stimulants.
- Stimulants are the most common and affect neurotransmitters so that they fire correctly.
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