A few more links on the subject:
On the study released in 2006:
HowStuffWorks "Is Ritalin treatment safe for preschool children?"
Argument FOR using Ritalin in preschoolers:
Is Ritalin Safe for Preschoolers? - Ritalin Advisor
And this is just frightening:
Preschool ADHD
On the study released in 2006:
The study began with an original enrollment of 303 children, aged 3 to 5 years, who had been diagnosed with ADHD. The first stage of the study, before the drug trial, was a 10-week parent training and behavioral therapy stage. N
early half of the children were pulled out of the study by their parents after that initial phase. According to the study's authors, the reduction in number was due to the success of the behavioral therapy or to a refusal on the part of the parents to include their children in the drug-trial part of the study.
In the drug study, 183 children took Ritalin for about a year, at varying doses. The average dose was 14 mg per day -- half the average dose given to children six and older.
HowStuffWorks "Is Ritalin treatment safe for preschool children?"
Argument FOR using Ritalin in preschoolers:
(List at link)However, there are indeed children who begin early onset symptoms of ADHD. Their behaviors clearly must be so extreme and consistent across many situations that parents who do try to enforce discipline and boundaries discover that it is nearly impossible. There are several behaviors to watch for in preschoolers that may indicate ADHD:
Is Ritalin Safe for Preschoolers? - Ritalin Advisor
And this is just frightening:
(Emphasis added)Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is no longer diagnosed just in schoolchildren. ADHD has already become the most common mental health diagnosis for children ages 3 to 5.
Preschool ADHD