Enrollment is now open for the award-winning Summer Treatment Program at FIU’s Center for Children and Families (CCF). The program offers treatment for children with ADHD and other behavioral challenges in pre-kindergarten, children entering grades K-5. Additionally, the Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Summer Treatment Program serves children between 4 and 6 years of age who are currently in the higher end of the growth curve.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a disorder affecting between 4 and 10 percent of school-aged children. One of the main treatments that helps children with ADHD is stimulant medication such as Ritalin and Adderall. While medication can be very effective for improving symptoms of ADHD when children first start taking it, it does not seem to improve their long-term outcomes. One possible reason is that children develop what is called “tolerance” so the medication stops working as well.

This year, children ages 5-12 who enroll in the program will have the opportunity to participate in a study conducted by CCF researchers to see whether tolerance happens and whether taking short medication holidays – that is, not taking the pill on weekends – helps to interrupt the tolerance effect. For more information about this study, any of the 2014 Summer Treatment Programs or other services offered at the Center for Children and Families, call 305-348-0477 or visit ccf.fiu.edu.