[joe fonebone]

I really get upset at the ignorance of some people. My oldest was add ( diagnosed by a psychiatrist, not a schoolteacher ) and the ritalin really made a difference in his schoolwork and concentration. He choose to stop taking it when he was 15. His grades dropped dramatically, but he worked very hard to get the grades he got. He is now rather successful in his field.

My problem is when the untrained (schools) get involved in diagnosis. I had a teacher try to pin add on my youngest. I told her she was full of crap, as I had a real add patient at home. She insisted and tried to put him in a different class. It took a full year, and a written diagnosis of non add from the psychiatrist to get the school to back off...

[Puppage]

My problem is when the untrained (schools) get involved in diagnosis. I had a teacher try to pin add on my youngest

Mine as well. Good for you for sticking to your guns.

[cerberus]

ADD/ADHD is a vague and somewhat meaningless diagnosis regardless of what some may say. I would venture to say that at least half of the population can now be pegged as supposedly having this "disorder".

I have a lot of experience with this topic and both of my kids have taken medication for it at one time or another though I don't think they necessarily fit the diagnosis.

It is not true that all medication will only help if they are "truly" ADHD. My son's grades improved dramatically when he started medication and I have seen many similar cases where the subject did not demonstrate clear symptoms.

I know that many will disagree, but for me it boils down to whether it is worthwhile to take meds if it makes the difference between being an A/B student rather than a C/D student. I have seen this type of result in many (but not all) cases and for me the result justifies the use of the medication as long as the student is tolerating it well.

It is very easy to find a doctor who will prescribe ADHD medication as many feel that it is OK to "give it a try". There are other MD's who are more strict about prescribing.

I think it's ok for the school to "suggest" a medical evaluation, but parents should not be coerced.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Bingo. My youngest daughter was diagnosed with ADHD by a psychiatrist as well. She’s not “unruly”. She’s a great kid. She just can’t focus at all when we give her stuff to do. One set of instructions at a time and get’s lost from A to B. Time to leave and one of her shoes is in the kitchen one is in her bedroom upstairs... She’s smart as hell (130+ IQ) and reads on an 8th grade level despite being in 2nd grade. The ADHD medication helps her focus and act “normal”. A whole lot of the comments on this thread are pure ignorance.