No parent should have to be subjected to these strong arm tactics.
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.
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.
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.
Well done! I am always happy to hear about parents who refuse the medicinal abuse the schools try to put our kids through.
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.
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.
Maybe kids need a little coffee to get focused like we do?
We went through this "coveyor belt" deal with our son: from teacher to school counselor, to psycologist to doctor (IE: drug pusher).
Of course each told the next in line what their diagnosis should be.
As we were seeing the MD., the psycologist came in and mentioned to the doctor, "Oh you might consider the diagnosis of "Depression" rather than ADHD. "Why?' asked the doctor. She replied, "I've reviewed their insurance and it will only pay for two visits for ADHD!"
I was stunned that the both of them thought we were that stupid!
Also made me wonder how many childrens lives were ruined as they try to come off this stuff as adults with no behavior modification in the program.
Worse, I fear that since Ritalin use is so high in public schools that the normal kids will all be diagnosed as "hyperactive" when they're sitting in a classroom where 75% of the kids are doped up. The doped up kids will become the "norm" everyone is compared against. It starts a chain reaction--call it the "drugging down" of the classroom.