Is early intervention effective in preventing ADHD?

The purpose of this study was to examine whether early intervention by non-pharmacologic means (occupational therapy and speech therapy) can decrease the incidence of ADHD in a group of preschool children at high risk for developing this syndrome. Fifty-one children who suffered at the age of 2-4.5 years from inattention, speech delay and/or motor delay with or without hyperactivity were reexamined at the age of 8-10 years (average 8.9 +/- 1.0 years) by a developmental pediatrician and a developmental psychologist, using the following tests and questionnaires: WISC-R IQ test, Touwen and Prechtl neurological examination for soft neurological signs and the DSM-III-R questionnaire for parents and teachers for the assessment of inattention and hyperactivity. A detailed medical questionnaire was also completed. Of 51 children, 20 (39%) had ADHD. Of these 20 children, 8 had a history of ADHD in other siblings. We found that in children with a family history of this syndrome early intervention reduced the incidence of ADHD at school age although the small numbers limit conclusions and need further replication.