Non-drug options for AD(H)D

Abstract

The first references to attention-deficit-(hyperactivity) disorder [AD(H)D] in the literature date back to the 19th century, when the physician Heinrich Hoffmann outlined various “types” in his 1845 Struwwelpeter, including the ADHD patient “Fidgety Phil.” Anyone looking for concrete figures in Austria searches in vain. Estimates of prevalence range up to 12% of school-age children, depending on the classification system used (DSM-IV and ICD-10 classification in Info Box 1). The perceived frequency is around three times this figure, considering that the reflex diagnosis “ADHD” is applied to many children who are simply inattentive.