Managing ADHD in children: Are you doing enough?
Medication, monitoring, and regular evaluation remain the mainstay of treatment for this disorder, but there are nuances (and new developments) you need to know.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of VR as an ADHD intervention is the opportunity for a clinician to place a patient in a virtual classroom, with tasks that require the child’s attention as well as distractors, such as conversation, ambient noise, and moving objects. Another advantage is the ability to integrate traditional assessment tools (Continuous Performance Tasks, for example) and treatment modalities, such as CBT.5 This can be accomplished through a graphic display of a child’s performance during a VR session, which the therapist can use as part of the therapeutic process.3 And VR has no side effects.
Several facilities are either using or experimenting with VR for ADHD. More information is available from the Virtual Reality Medical Center at https://www.vrphobia.com/adhd.htm.
CORRESPONDENCE
Keith B. Holten, MD, Berger Health System, 600 North Pickaway Street, Circleville, OH 43113; keith.holten@bergerhealth.com
