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FAMILY PRESSURED TO PUT S0N ON RITALIN
Associated Press .. direct feed | August 8, 2002

Posted on 08/08/2002 1:36:17 PM PDT by NYer

MILLBROOK, N.Y. (AP) _ A mother says her son's behavioral problems got worse after school officials gave her an ultimatum: Put the first-grader on Ritalin or he'll be placed in special education classes.

Patricia Weathers has filed notice that she will sue the Millbrook Central School District on behalf of her son, Michael Mozer, for the mental and physical pain she says he suffered for two years starting in 1997. Michael, she said, had trouble focusing and was easily distracted. Officials in the Dutchess County school referred her son to a pediatrician who prescribed Ritalin, Weathers said. By the third grade, Michael was suffering from insomnia, he lost his appetite and was so anxious he chewed his shirt sleeves, collars and pencils, Weathers said.

School officials suggested more medication, she said. Michael began taking another version of Ritalin plus Paxil, an anti-anxiety drug. ``He was having side effects that were making him literally psychotic at one point,'' she said Thursday. Michael's behavior improved on weekends and over breaks, when she would not give him the drugs, she said. She finally stopped medicating her son in December 1999 after he told her voices in his head were telling him to do bad things, she said.

Michael, now 12, was prohibited from entering the school, Weathers said. She now home-schools him and another son. In February 2000, school officials filed a complaint against Weathers with the state Department of Children and Family Services, she said. An investigation cleared her of wrongdoing after independent psychiatric evaluations found her son's sickness was related to the drugs, she said. An employee in Millbrook Superintendent W. Michael Mahoney's office said the district would not comment. The Department of Children and Family Services declined comment citing confidentiality, a spokesman said.

Weathers said she also believes Michael's heart murmur, heard during an examination six months after he was taken off medication, was caused by Ritalin. An exam last year found the murmur was within normal limits. She also claims the drug stunted his growth. Treating Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with stimulants including Ritalin ``has been associated with small decreases in body weight and height, which do not appear to be clinically significant,'' said Gina Moran, a spokeswoman for Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp, the company that makes Ritalin. Weathers' lawyer, Alan Milstein, declined to discuss particulars of the case but told the New York Post in Thursday's editions he would file the suit in about two weeks. Weathers has started a group called Parents for Label and Drug-Free Education, and said she is in touch with more than 100 parents across the country. Lawsuits similar to Weathers' have been filed against other school districts but were dismissed, Moran said.

A class-action lawsuit accusing Novartis, the American Psychiatric Association and others of encouraging overdiagnosis of children's behavioral disorders to boost sales of Ritalin was dismissed in March.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: adhd; drugs; education; ritalin; schoolsystem
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Ritalin can have long term, debilitating effects. Here is one parent who said NO to the school, only to be investigated for child neglect.

No parent should have to be subjected to these strong arm tactics.

1 posted on 08/08/2002 1:36:17 PM PDT by NYer
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To: NYer
It seems like a waste of money to drug the kids so the teachers can stand them. Look at it this way a teacher has 20 kids in the class and 7 or 8 of them have to be drugged so the teacher can tolerate them.

Wouldn't it be cheaper and more effective to drug the teachers so they could tolerate the kids?

It has to be cheaper and more effective to dope one teacher rather than 7 or 8 kids.

2 posted on 08/08/2002 1:52:05 PM PDT by Common Tator
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To: NYer
I believe the problem rests with adults who view children as miniature adults and expect, nay, demand the deportment of adults from them.

Child raising and child teaching is hard work, and chemicals do not make it any easier. They merely hide your failures...and set in motion a timebomb.

3 posted on 08/08/2002 2:11:12 PM PDT by Redleg Duke
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To: NYer
Ok for those following this case,

DId this child take all the special education tests to see if he even qualified for special ed? My kid had to take a battery of tests and interviews galore so we could find out that he DID NOT need special education.

However my childs school district would not promote him to 2nd grade without the medication.

There are hearings ect to determine this with parental presence. Parents can hire a lawyer for these meetings and get an advocate.

Back to my child, he starts 2nd grade on medication. We started the medication over the summer so I could be the best judge of any change.

A week or so into school his new teacher calls me. Had no idea he was on medication....yada yada yada...The entire system is a joke.

My son is now going into 5th grade on time.

He has been off medication for about 20 months now. Not one follow up call from the school district. In fact since that call from his teacher in 2nd grade a week into school I really cant recall any follow up by the school district.

4 posted on 08/08/2002 2:23:01 PM PDT by alisasny
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To: NYer
I faced a similar predicament a year ago, fellow Freepers helped give me all the amunition I needed to keep the public school monsters at bay.

Well done! I am always happy to hear about parents who refuse the medicinal abuse the schools try to put our kids through.

5 posted on 08/08/2002 2:30:42 PM PDT by Outlaw76
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To: NYer
Children are very resilient, I doubt he will have long term emotional scars due too a few years of this medication.

Too bad she didnt start home schooling him from the beginning and waited the 2 years while watching her child suffer in such a manner.

The symptoms her son had while on the meds, my son had the same ones, even told me his head didnt know how to tell him to behave.

I have not heard that from him since I took him off the meds.

Treating the side effects of ritalin is another problem ...the insomnia was so bad he was up 20 hours a day, and was totally busy during those 20 hours. Getting him to eat, and watch him gain a mere 2 lbs in 2nd grade was a horror.

Lucky for me we had a great doctor who took calls whenever needed and insisted on finding proper dosage and treating side effects. I highly doubt a pediatrician has such a skill.

I do wonder since my son is still argumentative if its a result of that time. I like to hope not but we did mess with his personal chemistry.

He is 10 now and a good kid. He takes advantage of us when he can but I really see no permenant damage to him coming.

6 posted on 08/08/2002 2:30:51 PM PDT by alisasny
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To: Outlaw76
Do you still have the link to your threads. I am sure I had to have voiced my opinion.
7 posted on 08/08/2002 2:31:26 PM PDT by alisasny
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To: NYer
This is great. School officials and teachers as expert diagnosticians.
8 posted on 08/08/2002 2:32:09 PM PDT by luckodeirish
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To: NYer
GRRRRRRRRRrrrrrr...... This makes my blood boil!!!! With all the information out there about Ritalin and teachers, shrinks, etc are still touting it's 'so-called' benefits....it is unbelievable. These are the same teachers/professionals that 'have no idea why' there are school shootings. Maybe they should check the shooter's prescriptions.....
9 posted on 08/08/2002 2:35:07 PM PDT by BossLady
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To: Redleg Duke
I believe the problem rests with adults who view children as miniature adults and expect, nay, demand the deportment of adults from them.

Child raising and child teaching is hard work, and chemicals do not make it any easier. They merely hide your failures...and set in motion a timebomb.

My nomination for post of the year on this subject.

10 posted on 08/08/2002 2:35:32 PM PDT by Al B.
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To: NYer
If the mom can homeschool her son, she should. My 4th daughter would qualify for this diagnosis because of her short attention span (per the school district guidelines). She's very intense and has such a zest for life and learning. My opinion is that this is her personality, therefore, I will work around her weaknesses and strengths and instruct her myself. And you know what? For a kindergartener, she reads 2nd grade level. I am so proud of her.
11 posted on 08/08/2002 2:38:18 PM PDT by Ravaged Nation
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To: NYer
The pubic school system in this country should be PUT IN IT'S PLACE!
12 posted on 08/08/2002 2:42:43 PM PDT by INSENSITIVE GUY
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To: BossLady
I believe several of the kids involved in recent shootings were, indeed, on various types of behavior mod medications (I think that one of the kids in Littleton was actually on anti-psychotics).

If a child has a real medical/psychological problem, it should be dealt with seriously, usually with residential treatment. But somebody on another thread pointed out that in many cases, people want meds for boys who are simply being boys.

My daughter worked in a summer camp for several years where one of the major jobs of the male counselors was distributing meds to the boys in their cabins.

Parents should resist.
13 posted on 08/08/2002 2:43:15 PM PDT by livius
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To: livius
You are right about the previous shooters and their meds. Many of them were on Ritalin and were then switched to Prozac, Paxil etc when they were 11-13. Apparently, Ritalin acts as a stimulant once a person becomes a teen and adult so the med is switched to an anti-depressant.

I have no answers but it all seems mighty peculiar to me....

14 posted on 08/08/2002 2:53:50 PM PDT by BossLady
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To: NYer
Hmmm, this doesnt pass the "smell test" with me.

Special education is determined through extensive testing--educational and pyschological--generally the medical is done through the parents themselves. The school is not qualified to give a medical diagnosis.

Special education services are covered under IDEA 77 which was updated in 96, very clearly delineates the responsibilites of both sides. The school is not allowed to act as a doctor, UNLESS the parent has signed away that right to them. This is the ONLY instance in which a school can provide a medical diagnosis. This article does not indicate whether or not she did.

What happens if a school violates this part of IDEA? As a special ed teacher myself, I have been told I can be fired for even mentioning medication. All I can do is describe behaviors and suggest that a parent discuss it with a qualified professional. That is it. Do a search on IDEA and look it up. The responsibilites, penalties, and consequences are all there for anyone to see.

I have read stories about school districts forcing students to take medication--but I have taught in 7 different districts in 3 states over the last 20 years and I have personally never seen it.

I will also add that a very good friend of mine is a psychiatrist and according to her about 45% of her child clients are homeschooled children--on ritalin, adderal, etc. This is not just a "Let's drug them so they will behave in a class of 25 kids" situation. If a kid really has ADHD or ADD, medication is very necessary. ESPECIALLY if they are 16 and driving. No one wants an ADHD kid behind the wheel off his/her meds. However, she (and I) believe it is over diagnosed. I've had kids in my classroom who were FINE with me, but bad at home or in other classes. ADHD doesn't really turn itself on and off like that. But yet the parents will insist that the child has ADHD and therefore qualifies for services.

As far as the long term effects of Ritalin goes--all I can say is to look carefully at whom is making a claim. The Ritalindeath.com site is run by a man trying to sell a book and homeopathic meds. The information from drug companies is obviously from someone trying to sell drugs/medication.

As far as this woman goes, she is making quite a few claims which certainly sound damming. I will have to watch the rulings to see how this comes out.

15 posted on 08/08/2002 2:57:43 PM PDT by SoftballMominVA
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To: BossLady; livius; All
Rx Nation- are our children being medicated to death?
16 posted on 08/08/2002 3:27:28 PM PDT by backhoe
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To: backhoe
Thanks! Good Reads! I have been keeping up with this issue closely....even doing my own research. I shake my head thinking about the ramifications. Those 'in charge' seem to be blind...or want to be blind...the old 'elephant in the room' scenario.
17 posted on 08/08/2002 3:38:11 PM PDT by BossLady
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To: All
I don't understand all the whining...

If the government can tell you what you may not ingest, it can certainly tell you what you must ingest...

And then force you to take it...

The mom should drug the kid and shut the hell up...

After all, government always knows best, and besides, it's for the children...

18 posted on 08/08/2002 3:43:15 PM PDT by Ferris
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To: Ravaged Nation
My guess is that it has less to do with her "personality" than with her IQ. "ADD" seems to be a lot more common in very intelligent children and adults, and I think it has a lot to do with the perpetual difficulty of dealing with a world that is geared to average intelligence. An adult or older child can learn self-control to deal with unavoidable boredom, but expecting a kindergarten-aged child who is reading at the 2nd grade level to have anything but a short attention span for kindergarten level school activities is just plain ridiculous. She'd probably be just fine if they'd plop her into a 2nd grade classroom, but of course they won't do that because they aren't interested in promoting high academic achievement.
19 posted on 08/08/2002 3:49:50 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: BossLady
I believe it was right after Columbine that Ken Hamblin ( a very good guy on radio ) had a special on psychotropic drugs like these, and amidst all the screeching from people who were offended that he even questioned the overuse of said drugs, some rather unnerving things emerged:

1- they seem to induce psychosis in some people
2- one you have a history of taking these drugs, your ability to join the military, fly a plane, etc., is "conditional..."

It's been so long I can't recall exactly what was said, but it was typical clintonian weaseling-- you could still join the military, but they'd never let you handle firearms or explosives. I think the pilot's license was similar- you could still get one, but never pass the medical ( as best I recall... ) so you could never fly- but technically, you weren't barred.

20 posted on 08/08/2002 4:01:00 PM PDT by backhoe
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