The AACAP has published over 25 Practice Parameters. The Parameters are published as Official Actions of the AACAP in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Summaries, if available, and full text parameters are available below.

The AACAP Practice Parameters are designed to assist clinicians in providing high quality assessment and treatment that is consistent with the best available scientific evidence and clinical consensus. The Practice Parameters describe generally accepted practices, but are not intended to define a standard of care, nor should they be deemed inclusive of all proper methods of care or exclusive of other legitimate methods of care directed at obtaining the desired results. The ultimate judgment regarding the care of a patient and family must be made by the clinician in light of all of the clinical evidence presented by the patient and family, the diagnostic and treatment options available, and available resources.

Before approval by the Council, each Parameter draft is reviewed several times by the members of the Work Group on Quality Issues, co-chaired by Heather Walter, M.D. and Oscar Bukstein, M.D. In addition, the drafts are reviewed by experts in the respective subject areas and by the AACAP general membership.

In the interest of full disclosure, click here for conflict of interest information for all people, other than authors and chairs, named in the attribution section of practice parameters. This policy applies to parameters approved after September 2006.

ADHD (P-ADD)
**Vol 46 Jul 2007

Anxiety Disorders (P-ANX)
**Vol 46 Feb 2007

Assessment of a Child and Adolescent (P-PSY)
**Vol 36 Oct 1997 Sup

Assessment of Infants and Toddlers (P-INF)
**Vol 36 Oct 1997 Sup

Assessment of the Family
**Vol 46 Jul 2007

Autism (P-AUT)
**Vol 38 Dec 1999 Sup

Bipolar (P-BIP)
**Vol 46 Jan 2007
ERRATUM: The “Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder,” which appears in the January 2007 issue of the Journal (J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 46: 107-125), includes an incorrect citation for I Hellander 2002 in the reference list. The correct reference is Hellander M (2002), Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation: Membership Survey. Data Presented at: Methodological Issues and Controversies in Clinical Trials with Child and Adolescent Patients with Bipolar Disorder, sponsored by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; June; Chantilly, VA. All references to Hellander, 2002 appearing in the text refer to the M. Hellander 2002 citation appearing here.

Child Custody Evaluation (P-CUS)
**Vol 36 Oct 1997 Sup

Community Systems of Care
**Vol 46 Feb 2007

Conduct Disorders (P-CON)
**Vol 36 Oct 1997 Sup

Depressive Disorders (P-DEP)
**Vol 46 Nov 2007

Electroconvulsive Therapy With Adolescents (P-ECT)
**Vol 43 Dec 2004

Enuresis, Children and Adolescents With (P-ENU)
**Vol 43 Dec 2004

Forensic Evaluation for Children/Adolescents Who May Have Been Sexually Abused (P-FOR)
**Vol 36 Oct 1997 Sup.

Language/Learning Disorders (P-LLD)
**Vol 37 Oct 1998 Sup

Mental Retardation (P-MEN)
**Vol 38 Dec 1999 Sup

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (P-OCD)
**Vol 37 Oct 1998 Sup

Oppositional Defiant Disorder
**Vol 46 Jan 2007

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (P-PTS)
**Vol 37 Oct 1998 Sup

Psychiatric Consultation to Schools (P-PCS)
**Vol 44 Oct 2005
**accompanying tables

Reactive Attachment Disorder (P-RAD)
**Vol 44 Nov 2005

Schizophrenia (P-SCH)
**Vol 40 Jul 2001 Sup

Seclusion and Restraint (P-SCL)
**Vol 41 Feb 2002 Sup

Sexually Abusive Children (P-SAB)
**Vol 38 Dec 1999 Sup

Stimulant Medications (P-STM)
**Vol 41 Feb 2002 Sup

Substance Use (2004) (P-SUB)
**Vol 44 Jun 2005

Suicidal Behavior (P-SUI)
**Vol 40 Jul 2001 Sup
**Suicide Tables

Youth in Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facilities (P-YJD)
**Vol 44 Oct 2005

**Denotes Full Text Adobe PDF Document.
Click here to download the free Adobe Reader for pdf files.