We Need Inquiry into ADHD Kids
Is it any wonder then that the numbers of children suffering Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder has gone through the roof or that the prescription of Ritalin, the accepted treatment for ADHD, has rocketed from 4,000 in 1994 to 359,000 in 2004?
Now it’s being argued that the drug Ritalin isn’t the answer after all and in fact may even produce severe side-effects.
What a mess.
ADHD is a complex and divisive issue.
Those who believe their kids are afflicted will tell you they have a rough time of it indeed.
Others argue that a sizeable chunk of kids with that label are just plain badly-behaved and need a firm hand rather than chemical intervention.
And of course there is a danger that some people will use the condition as a get-out, an excuse for the unruliness of their kids or for behaviour that’s actually quite normal and just needs parenting skills to address.
What is certain is that something is going wrong in a society which feels the need to drug so many of the next generation in order to cope.
We need an independant enquiry into ADHD and how it’s diagnosed, setting aside the pros and cons of Ritalin.
More importantly we need to examine its causes and how we can tackle them…
Source: Liverpool Echo, UK
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