ABSTRACT
Studies of stimulant use in preschool children with developmental disabilities are limited to case reports despite estimates that stimulant use among preschool children with developmental disabilities is around 5.5%. This chapter discusses the knowledge of the safety and efficacy of methylphenidate (MPH) among preschool children with developmental disabilities as a first step toward establishing guidelines for use. It examines the rate of positive responding to MPH among this group of children, who would respond at rates similar to the nondelayed preschool population. The chapter determines optimal doses for gains in attention and activity level. It examines the impact of MPH on play and mother-child interactions and seeks to monitor and describe the rate and type of adverse medication side effects. Results suggest that preschool children with developmental disabilities and attention deficit-hyper activity disorder (ADHD) respond to MPH at rates similar to those of school-age children with mental retardation and ADHD.
