A review of treatment approaches for hyperactive behavior

The purpose of this paper is to review treatment approaches for hyperactive behavior of children. Both medical and psychological treatment techniques are examined. Chemotherapy with psychostimulant drugs is the more frequently employed treatment; however, a number of problems with this approach, such as negative side effects and the failure to affect scholastic achievement, have been demonstrated. Behavior modification has been the primary non‐medical management procedure. Although studies using behavior management techniques generally have employed adequate experimental designs, several problems, such as the absence of follow‐up data, are apparent. Directions for further research are suggested.