ADD/ADHD - Support for Parents

A debate is growing over how ADD/ADHD is diagnosed and how medication is being prescribed. We don't know what the truth is, but we hope all parents will look into the debate -- and find out as much as they can (from all sources) -- before making decisions. It's possible that some support people (including friends, relatives, doctors, teachers, principals and support groups) might not be well-informed about this debate, or they might be more interested in supporting what they've already done -- than in being sympathetic to parental doubt.

We've outlined the debate for you on our What's the Debate page, as much as we could gather. We didn't do that to tell you that your child doesn't have ADD/ADHD. Nor did we do it to claim that ADD/ADHD is a myth. The reason we've done it is to help you gain a clearer idea of the concerns being raised, so that you're in a better position to make informed decisions.

Safer Child encourages you to make sure that before you accept a diagnosis of ADHD and especially before you fill a prescription for medication, your child has undergone a complete physical exam to rule out other any other possible causes of the behavior (such as hearing or vision problems, insufficient sleep, chronic dehydration, snoring or sleep apnea, lead poisoning, giftedness, sexual abuse, poor discipline, etc.). According to the experts: ADHD should not be diagnosed in a 15-minute visit. If your doctor doesn't want to do a complete exam, consider finding another doctor. Symptoms should be present for at least 6 months BEFORE diagnosis. It is not recommended that children younger than 6 years old take stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Adderall, since their safety and efficacy in young children has not been determined. And, if medication isn't working, or if it's making your child's behavior worse, consider obtaining a second opinion. Besides the fact that ADHD medications can have a negative effect on children who don't need them, it's also possible for medications to conflict with each other or for medications to improve one symptom while worsening another.

If you feel we haven't done justice to the issues, or if you have other information we can add to this page, please let us know.

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