There is a lot of controversy about diagnosing and treating kids for ADHD. The teacher calls the parents and asks them to get the doctor to get the kid some ritalin, because he is driving her crazy. Meanwhile, the girl with ADD sits quietly, daydreaming, causing no trouble and ignored. But does the boy have ADD or something else, “just a behavioral problem”, anxiety, abuse, hearing or vision problems, something else. The critics are partly right – it is not good to just to throw medication at a problem with out a careful evaluation and diagnosis, and that does happen. Maybe a good thing though is that if it is really ADHD the ritalin is likely to really help, which helps not just the teacher but the kid, sometimes enormously, and if it is not ADHD the ritalin is unlikely to cause any improvement.
Getting the needed help can make a huge long term difference in the childs life, and most of us don’t outgrow ADD or ADHD.
Conclusion: Many children are getting put on ritalin who don’t need it and many who do need it are not getting it- so its both too much and not enough.
doug
ADDadultstrategies 
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We are struggling with this right now with our son. he is 7, and over the last two years has had increasing behavioral problems. Wanting to avoid wrongful medication, we have sought help from nutritionists, councelors, homepathics and are now working with a therapist and psychologist to determine the root of the behavioral problems as well as testing him to see if he does have ADHD/ADD. We are hoping to find the right solution before things get any worse.
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that is really difficult. be sure you have a clinician who really knows about ADHD. Get the right diagnosis. If it is ADHD then try to overcome any aversion you have to medication, it can be life saving sometimes, or sometimes just helps some at least. you and your child deserve the benefit
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