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Aug. 8, 2000
Another dilemma surrounds the drug Ritalin.
It's a sharp division between the rights of a parent, and the demands of society.
Should a school, for example, be allowed to order a parent to give a child with behavioral problems, a drug like Ritalin?
If the parent refuses, should society be allowed to prosecute that parent for neglect?
News Specialist Lisa Conley reports.
In just a few weeks kids will be heading back to school. Some of them will be diagnosed with ADHD--Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Many of those kids will be taking Ritalin or other drugs to treat their ADHD.
But, the disorder and how to treat it has come under a lot of fire, and now there's a new twist to the controversy.
Thirteen-year old Krista Palmer was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when she was eight.
Since then, Krista's parents have tried many different treatments, most recently the perscription stimulant drug Ritalin.
Krista Palmer/ADHD patient: "I FELT LIKE MY PARENTS WERE STUFFING PILLS DOWN MY THROAT. BUT ALSO I'VE LEARNED THAT THEY KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT FOR ME."
But what if Krista's parents decided to take her off Ritalin for whatever reason? Shouldn't that be their right?
Some U.S. courts are now saying no. In fact, a court in Albany New York forced a family to put their 7-year old son back on medication for his ADHD.
Some public schools are even accusing parents of child abuse and "medical neglect" for refusing to treat the disorder.
It's an emerging trend some experts say is disturbing.
Sam Goldstein/Ph.D.: "WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE? AND PERHAPS THE LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN A BIT TOO FAR IN SAYING 'IF YOU DON'T GIVE MEDICATION TO YOUR CHILD WITH ADHD, YOU ARE A NEGLECTFUL, ABUSIVE PARENT.'"
Krista's mom has two other children with ADHD who are not on medication and says her family has done just fine making the decision on their own...something that's brought them closer together.
Diane Palmer/mother: "ONE DAUGHTER AND MY SON HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF A.D.D., AND HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO MEDICATE. MY SON DOES OKAY, BUT MY OLDEST DAUGHTER SOMETIMES HAS A HARD TIME."
A decision this family made on their own, but could one day be made by the courts.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says as many as 3.8 million schoolchildren are diagnosed with ADHD. At least 2-million of them will be taking Ritalin. Doctors say its a powerful treatment, but the longterm effects have not been studied.
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