Of the various treatment strategies available for AD/HD, the majority of today's research is focused on stimulant medications and psychosocial interventions.

The 14-month NIMH Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with AD/HD, also known as the MTA study, was released in December 1999, and was the first major clinical trial in history to focus on a childhood mental disorder. In this study, researchers focused on behavior modification and medication management, discovering that:

• Long-term combination treatments - behavior modification and medication management - are superior to other treatments.
• Medications alone without the use of therapy or behavioral interventions came in a close second.
• Intensive behavioral treatment alone was less superior.

Now with the recently published ADHD treatment guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is the common understanding and recommendation that the best treatment option is a combination of both medication and a professional behavior management/modification program. With the integration of behavior management, there is a strong possibility that the need for medication can be dramatically reduced or even eliminated in time.