A nes galui – I agree with Joseph. Some schools have developed a strategy for dealing with “difficult” children – send them for a Ritalin prescription and keep them quiet that way. Sure, there are a few kids who would find medical benefits from meds, but they’re being prescribed because, in some cases, the school insists on it for disciplinary reasons, and sometimes because parents are having trouble coping with a “difficult” child. The first choice for helping a child should always be a behavioral and psychological evaluation and counseling. Meds should only be a last resort. What if all the kid needs is a gym class to burn off extra energy? Or he has a vision or hearing problem that hasn’t been diagnosed? The meds won’t help, and will keep the real problem from being addressed. Only if a child is depressed, and in danger of self-hurt, would it be advisable, and then only short-term.
Don’t ever, ever start your kid on meds without a thorough non-medical workup, and ALWAYS get a second opinion. We worry about what marijuana does to a developing brain, and feel fine exposing our kids to heavy-duty stuff like Ritalin.