Saturday, October 27 
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (ticket)
Mary Margaret Gleason, M.D., Chair 

Preschool psychopathology and treatment, especially psychopharmacological treatment, have been gaining increased attention in the last decade. While researchers have made significant strides in the assessment and validation of psychiatric disorders in preschoolers, the data to guide treatment of these disorders remains limited. Thus, clinicians can face the difficult scenario of assessing a severely disturbed and impaired young patient, but have limited empirical or professional standards to guide their treatment planning. 

This Institute first presents the unique considerations involved in considering medication use in preschoolers including developmental factors, assessment considerations, and the centrality of primary caregiving relationships in early childhood psychiatry. The second portion of the Institute reviews the existing preschool- and school-aged literature that may guide clinical decision-making, including relative strength of data supporting psychopharmacological treatment compared to psychotherapeutic treatments, and presentation of the working group’s algorithms and recommendations. 

Preschool Psychopharmacology: The Developmental Contexts 
Mary Margaret Gleason, M.D. 

Assessment and Diagnosis of Psychiatric Disorders in Preschool Children 
Helen L. Egger, M.D. 

Preschool Psychopharmacology: Evidence and Perspectives on Mood Disorders 
Joan L. Luby, M.D. 

Preschool Psychopharmacology: Evidence and Perspectives on Preschool Anxiety Disorders 
Helen L. Egger, M.D. 

Treatment of Preschoolers with ADHD 
Laurence L. Greenhill, M.D. 

Preschool Psychopharmacology: What About Disruptive Behavior Disorders? 
Brian K. Wise, M.D., M.P.H. 

Preschool Psychopharmacology in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disabilities 
Lawrence Scahill, M.S.N., Ph.D. 

Psychopharmacological Treatment in the Context of Parent-Child Relationships 
Charles H. Zeanah, Jr., M.D. 

Sponsored by the AACAP Infant and Preschool Committee

Institute Quick Links