As a teacher who has had many children with ADD and ADHD, I can attest to the benefits of medicine for children with these disorders as well as benefits for every other child in the classroom (and the teacher) but I certainly hope that the mediator did not suggest Ritalin as a first option--that would just be poor practice. I feel there are alternatives that can and should be tried at school before medicating a child such as scheduled movement breaks, step-by-step directions and behavior plans. All that said, I know that hearing your child is having difficulty may put parents on the defensive but it's important to remember that everyone just wants what's best for the child. Information from school is definitely a large and helpful factor when diagnosing a child and shouldn't be disregarded BUT it shouldn't be the only thing considered. Good luck with everything and sorry for the book!
