[widowithfoursons]

What the school doesn't tell the parent is that the child's school record follws him eternally. Prospective employers will all know that the kid was drugged in order to function. Special Ed kids are generally ineligible as far as honors classes go, and are stigmatized for their entire adulthood. OTOH, if employers are looking for 1984 material, they have found it.

[ladylib]

It's hard to get into the armed services if you're diagnosed with it.

[brianl703]

Not true..in Virginia, category II school record info is destroyed/shredded 5 years after graduation. Even prior to then, it is not given out without written permission from the (former) student.

Other states most likely have similar records policies.

About the only thing anybody can find out is what grades the (former) student got.

[reformed_democrat]

What the school doesn't tell the parent is that the child's school record follws him eternally. Prospective employers will all know that the kid was drugged in order to function.

Not only that, the military will not allow him to join because he's using a psychotropic drug (Ritalin has the same chemical signature as cocaine). We'll have an entire generation who will be classed as "unfit for duty" because of this. The only way around it will be to change the enlistment requirements to allow all drug addicts to enter the service -- regardless of their addiction -- because you can't successfully test for a difference between Ritalin and illegal drugs. That, or we will have to legalize cocaine.

Just another one of those "unintended consequeces."

[Sloth]

What the school doesn't tell the parent is that the child's school record follws him eternally. Prospective employers will all know that the kid was drugged in order to function.

Nonsense.

[luckystarmom]

Special ed kids are special ed because academically they don't stand up.

My daughter now does not qualify for special ed because she is doing well academically except for speech. She qualifies under Other Health Impaired because she has brain damage.

Sometimes it is very important to get these "diagnosis" because the kids needs services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, reading help. The least of my concerns are whether she will be eligible for honors classes in high school. I'm worried that she won't pass 1st grade, and she won't without special help.

[kegler4]

"What the school doesn't tell the parent is that the child's school record follws him eternally. Prospective employers will all know that the kid was drugged in order to function. Special Ed kids are generally ineligible as far as honors classes go, and are stigmatized for their entire adulthood."

Sheesh, not where I come from. My employers have never seen my school record because state law forbids it. I took Ritalin as child in the 60s and was never turned down for a job. I also took honors classes. And my daughter, who took Ritalin for 3 years, is taking almost every honors class her school offers. So where do you get YOUR info?