ABSTRACT
The use of psychotropic medication, at least on a long-term basis, with children under 6 years of age is a sensitive topic for most caregivers. It is important to know, however, that in spite of these concerns, psychotropic drugs are often prescribed for young children and that they are generally safe and effective. The symptoms of many childhood behavior disorders first appear during the preschool years, but in most cases drug therapy is not initiated until the child goes to school. Nevertheless, there are always some preschool-aged children who are going to be given psychotropic medication. This is a serious consideration because large numbers of preschool-aged children are registered for these and related services. Because United States federal law requires individual states to report on a regular basis the number of children receiving special education, it is now possible to generate national statistics on the number of children enrolled in ECSE programs.
