If parents object to a school giving Ritalin, I think the drug should not be given, provided that the parent in question is willing to work with the school and the teacher to whatever extent is necessary to solve the problem.
Steven, Ritalin is a Schedule 2 drug. This is the most restricted level that can be legally sold; each prescription must be signed with the prescriber's DEA number attached, and can't be renewed or called in on the phone. I can't imagine any American school dispensing any prescription drug at all, much less a Schedule 2 drug, without fully informed parental consent, and without the parent actually getting the drug themselves and delivering it with proper permission forms to the school. In all the schools I have experience with, they won't even give Tylenol without permission.
Most psychological issues these days tend to be treated with drugs as a first line of attack. I'd guess there are two main reasons for this; the drugs are usually at least as effective as counseling, if not more so, and they're cheaper. ADD / ADHD may well be overdiagnosed, and drugs may not be the ideal answer at any rate, but in the real world, people do what they can. |
