Each day there is a line around the nurses office at your elementary school. It is estimated that more than 35% of elementary aged children are medicated, most for ADD/ADHD-like "symptoms". The likelihood that this is, in fact, a real disorder of this magnitude is nil.
Our local college psychology clinic, staffed by students, has a nine month wait for ADD/ADHD "testing", when-there is no real test for ADHD/ADD. What a gold mine for the college and the pharmaceutical company that will benefit from the drugs given to these kids in nearly all cases. In my practice I see normal eight year old boys (yes they are bouncing off the walls, cause thats what eight year old boys do), who have been referred, usually by teachers, for ADD/ADHD treatment and diagnostics. If the parents believe the teacher or administrator making this request (and why would they doubt the agenda of their trusted education professionals, who have not one minute of training in diagnosing psychosocial disorders) they will undoubtedly receive drugs. The long term effects of giving these drugs to children is unknown and untested. They are not approved for the use of children by the FDA. So the eight year old becomes more docile, more compliant-more vegetable. Everyone is happy with this, including the eight year old who feels more accepted by his parents and the peer group (who are also largely medicated into compliance) Sound Orwellian? As a therapist and as a human being I find this incredibly alarming. This is a whole medicated generation. The normal childhood behaviors are gone, we want adults and we want them NOW! The window of acceptable behavior is very narrow and I certainly would not have squeezed through as a student. I wouldn't have made it through elementary school. GT (gifted and talented) kids are often misdiagnosed with ADD/ADHD. They do very poorly sitting through 6 hours of disgustingly long and boring, lecture style - school. Smart kids want to talk, discuss, argue and interact-school doesn't like this. My practice caters to these kids but the parents are quick to look for and embrace a lablel. It is a quick fix for them and requires less interaction. They are busy, (both are usually working and "very important") and a pill is the easiest solution. The pathology answers the question: why is my kid requiring attention from me? Oh, he's sick. Sick society.