Posted on 06/08/2004 11:29:20 AM PDT by Dan Evans
When Chad Taylor noticed his son was apparently experiencing serious side effects from Ritalin prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he decided to take the boy off the medication. Now, he says he may be accused of child abuse.
In February, 12-year-old Daniel began displaying some symptoms that his father suspected were related to the use of Ritalin.
"He was losing weight, wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating," Taylor told ABC News affiliate KOAT-TV in New Mexico. "[He] just wasn't Daniel."
So Taylor took Daniel off Ritalin, against his doctor's wishes. And though Taylor noticed Daniel was sleeping better and his appetite had returned, his teachers complained about the return of his disruptive behavior. Daniel seemed unable to sit still and was inattentive. His teachers ultimately learned that he was no longer taking Ritalin.
School officials reported Daniel's parents to New Mexico's Department of Children, Youth and Families.Then a detective and social worker made a home visit.
"The detective told me if I did not medicate my son, I would be arrested for child abuse and neglect," Taylor said.
A spokesman for New Mexico's Department of Children, Youth and Families told KOAT-TV that they could not comment on the case because of state confidentiality laws. John Francis, a detective for the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety, said that Taylor was not threatened but told KOAT-TV that parents could be charged in situations like his.
"People can be charged with child abuse, child neglect or various other crimes involving a child," he said.
More Kids on Antidepressants
Taylor is among many parents facing a dilemma over whether to medicate children who suffer from mental disorders. A recent study by Express Scripts Inc., a medical benefits management company, found antidepressant use increased 49 percent among consumers younger than 18 between 1998 and 2002. Preschoolers up to age 5, the study found, were the fastest-growing users of prescription antidepressants.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
All your kid are belong to us.
This is frightening. We are at a crossroads.
These cops are fascists.
Can't they discuss the situation and the safety of the situation before threatening people?
THey are the ones who need the freaking meds, for god's sakes.
Thou shall not follow a dangerous law! Jail the insane who force you under color of law of breaking the law.
But no, butt joke judges and fascists don't think in those terms... too afraid of cops most probably.
Also since when those cops cared for kids and knew them better 24/7???
This is getting really ridiculous.
These cops never soil their uniforms trying to clean messes and raise difficult kids and treat them, but oh! don't you dare make a potty training spill as a parent, and they will blame all the filth in the world on you.
Also these confidentiality laws are unconstitutional.
Cops should be busy helping truckers and drivers and parents who try to do a good job delivering things on time, even if they have to speed, instead of ticketing them.
They are here to help us out, not to blame the garbage man doing his job for smelling too bad or smoking too much.
I just cant stand some of the freaking cops out there. They are sick people.
These days it's quite easy to go on the internet and find out what side effects for any medication might be and act accordingly.
One thing you do is go to the prescribing physician and point out the negative side effects.
Interesting that those teachers even know a kid is taking ritalin. That information is confidential. Someone talked. Time to sue!
Make the kid rich, and he'll be able to sleep whenever he wishes and have in a tutor.
Your child belongs to the state, they are currently on loan.
This is terrifying. Tyranny is knocking, don't dare answer the door...
How about some medication for the mentally-disordered do-gooder statists? .....like being forced to live in Cuba for a while.
Does this scare anyone else?
Just wait - next HE will be ordered to take SOMA for the brave new world.
How dare he question the Authorities' decision!
Crush him like an insect, as an example to others!
It's for the children.
Move out of that evil state.
Disgusting, isn't it? Many of these drugs have dangerous side effects. This is just for convenience, not health benefits. I'm fed up with public schools.
I saw a demonstration several weeks ago in NYC against giving Ritalin to children. They called it psychiatric abuse. I wish I had gotten the name of the organization. Good demo. Identical T-shirts and good signs. Anyone know what org. this might be?
Here's another one for you: my daughter was told by an ER doc that he'd report her to Dept of Child and Family Services if she didn't get her 3 year old a tetanus shot. She'd been bitten by a horse that was immunized againt tetanus, so there was no danger. Vets at a nearby university confirmed that horses don't carry tetanus anyway. Score one for my daughter for standing up to this creature.
Who would have thought, that our country would end up with a newspaper story like this one. Going to call my daughter again and push the home schooling issue with her. Only two more years, until my Grandson could be in these peoples horrible hands. Scary.
Montana Beth
Who do you think demanded that the child be drugged in the first place? The schools! On their neverending piles of paperwork, a parent is instructed to list all medication that the child is on. Technically they do need to know in case of an emergency. I'm just disgusted with the whole thing.
I took my son off of Paxil after the last fight he got into. I also informed them about the side effects of Paxil, and also the kids who did the Columbine killings were on that stuff.
Beam me up, Scotty...
good answer,
can you imagine someone telling thomas jefferson that the government knows more abut ow to raise a child than he parents ?
How did those f#$%^ get so much power?
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