Only a doctor can prescribe medication and there are a lot of options besides Ritalin. There are also ways to manage it without medication. Some food allergies can cause similar symptoms. But the thing that worries me from your description is that childhood depression can also mimic ADD, so he really needs to be evaluated by a doctor who is familiar with ADD or ADHD, not just a family practitioner. My son saw a pediatric psychiatrist for the initial diagnosis, and was then transferred to a local psychologist for followup.
It wouldn't hurt to have him checked out, but I don't know how this "mediator" can prescribe Ritalin. That's not a good idea at all. Ritalin has some potentially serious side effects and there are MUCH better medications on the market now.
__________________ The fullness of our heart is expressed in our eyes, in our touch, in what we write, in what we say, in the way we walk, the way we receive, the way we need. -Mother Teresa ( RIP Gizmo 3/9/07-8/18/12)  |