[Jan 22, 97 - 17:55] Ann Marie Rivera of 1:2613/405 wrote to Gwenna Bowers:
I realize that some of what I say may seem harsh, and I apologize for that.
AMR> etc.  Well, my son went through psychiatric evaluation through a school
AMR> psyciatrist, and was also subjected to a multitude of other tests by the
AMR> school counselors...there conclusion...He is ADHD with no doubt in mind,
AMR> he has a very high I.Q., and no learning disability. There
AMR> recommendation, is Ritilin. Well, my son's doctor explained to me that
AMR> he does not believe in quick fixes...but would like to pursue behavior
AMR> mod.  I agree totally...I don't want to see my son who is a basically
AMR> very happy child and a definate comedian on a mind altering drug unless
AMR> there is not even a shadow of a doubt that nothing else will work. Even
AMR> then I am a skeptic...I have heard so much and read so much negative
AMR> comments about these "wonder pills" for children.
Mostly from the uninformed and those with an axe to grind, I fear.  In 
particular, there is a wealthy and powerful organization which uses every 
weapon it can manufacture to oppose psychiatry; they fastened onto first 
Prozac and then Ritalin as opportunities to spread fear and doubt.
AMR>  I have since switched schools and moved...my son has been in a new
AMR> school for approx 3 1/2 wks now and I am already getting some negative
AMR> feedback from his new teacher...It just seems so unfair for children
Please give some thought to the effect that constant failure and frustration 
will have on your son.  You have already heard from three teachers in two 
school systems that a problem exists, so it is unlikely to be some kind of 
bad call on the part of a teacher.  So the question is, what to do about it?
Behavior modification has had little effect on my son, and most of the 
parents in this conference have had the same result.  I believe that if my 
son stuck his hand in a fire, he would learn not to do it again; but he finds 
it very difficult to learn that if he doesn't pay attention in school, he 
will get bad grades.  He "knows" this, and can tell you that it is true, and 
he believes it to be true: but it has little effect on his behavior.  My son 
is not really hyperactive, but he is easily distracted and has poor impulse 
control.  The benefits of his medication become apparent within an hour of 
his taking it.  Behavior that might be adorable in a three-year-old and 
tolerable in a five-year-old is very hard to take from a 16-year-old, believe 
me.
AMR> these days...It seems the only thing they want to hear is, Ok I will put
AMR> him/her on medication to please you...what about the kids, the parents?
AMR> Don't we have a say?
You certainly do, of course.  Do not concern yourself with pleasing teachers: 
concern yourself with your child's well-being.  You are, in essence, asking a 
very young child to tough it out and overcome a problem which he probably 
can't understand.  How long will it be before he hates school, the place 
where they tell him over and over again to sit still, be quiet, take turns, 
and pay attention: all things that his medical condition is preventing him 
from doing.
AMR>         One other thought that I have had a lot is, what happened back
AMR> in the days of our parents, and grandparents, I'm sure there was ADD and
AMR> ADHD etc...how did they deal with the children back then?  There was no
AMR> "miracle pills" then...How did they get them to pay attention.  I read
AMR> in a medical book that some of our greatest minds this world has known
AMR> were ADHD.  For one example...Albert Einstein.
Deciding long after his death that Einstein had AD(H)D is risky business.  He 
may have been, or he may not, this is all speculation since he was never 
tested for that or any of a dozen other things.  There are people who believe 
that AD(H)D brings with it creativity; my son is not creative, at least not 
in any usable way.  Other people with AD(H)D are very creative, and I don't 
think they go together more than accidentally.  I think much of this is 
wishful thinking, but that's just my opinion.
As for what happened to these kids in the good old days, they were beaten for 
disobedience; they ran away from home; they got into trouble; they learned 
much less from school than they could have; and they led lives of frustration 
and unhappiness in many cases.
You might as well ask what happened to diabetics before the use of insulin, 
or nearsighted people before the invention of eyeglasses: some got by, many 
suffered.
AMR>         I guess, that this whole thing just confuses me terrible...I
AMR> feel so stuck...torn I guess between the school, my personal feelings
AMR> for my child, and my child himself...I would just be greatful to be able
AMR> to share my feelings and thoughts with people and be able to share in
AMR> theirs as well...I am looking for some solice, some insight, just
AMR> something more to go on and look into. I appreciate any information or
AMR> suggestions or just thoughts you care to share...
You have to decide what is best for your child, but I urge you to consider 
that (Christian Science notwithstanding) there are situations for which 
medication is the appropriate treatment.  Some kids with AD(H)D learn to cope 
without medication, some don't; those that do tend to do so as they mature.
If you are opposed to using medication, I suggest that you set yourself a 
definite and realistic trial period for whatever else you settle on.  Try as 
objectively as possible to determine at the end of that period if your 
solution is working.  Try to avoid the "eternal hope" syndrome: when the time 
is up, decide if it worked, yes or no.  If the answer is yes, then continue; 
if the answer is no, please try something different for your son's sake.  And 
remember that many of the people here have had good results with medication.
Jerry Schwartz
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