>Jos,
>
>Since a lot of Ritalin starts in public (i.e. lower grades), the "productive member of society" actually means not upsetting 'order' in THAT CLASSROOM.
>I suppose I would have been prescribed the stuff had I been in school when it started. While I may have got on some teachers' nerves, I survived, the students survived and the teachers survived and all was reasonable when all was said and done.

I agree that Ritalin and other ADD drugs are over-prescribed. However, I also know that they're lifesavers for some kids.

ADD is real. It has an impact on people's lives that prevents them from fulfilling their potential. Rather than declaring ritalin and other drugs bad across the board, let's focus on getting good diagnostic guidelines so that those who will benefit get the drug and those who simply need some discipline get that.

Let's also point out that one disruptive student in a classroom can mean that a class full of kids lose out.

Tamar