ADHD, or hyper children seem to be everywhere these days. It is becoming popular belief that a large percentage of the kids currently on meds (typically Ritalin) for ADHD do not in fact need to be medicated. It is believed that schools are crying wolf in an attempt to find some solution to over crowded classes by drugging the masses into catatonia.
Well, I have three children who have ADHD. I can tell you in their case, they are not being inappropriately medicated.
Here is one clue that works most of the time in determining whether or not a child is truly ADHD. Give the child a high caffeine drink. Mountain Dew, Mellow Yellow, Dr. Pepper to name a few soda's, or just good old fashioned coffee (appropriately flavored for optimum consumption of course).
About 30 minutes after having the child drink this, observe them closely.
Is the child even more hyper? Perhaps twitching, or eyeballs jiggling? If so, the child is most likely NOT ADHD.
Has the child calmed down? Is he or she able to sit still and read or do another otherwise difficult task? If so the child most likely IS ADHD.
Explanation? This is what I have found (in a nutshell) on the web, through reading books and by talking with more doctors than I can remember:
What is believed to cause ADHD or ADD is that part of the brain is not getting enough stimulation. In order to stimulate the brain to allow the child to sit still and focus, amphetamine-like medications are given. By Stimulating the brain, you calm the child down.
The sad thing about all of this, if a child does not have ADHD, but is being medicated for it, he or she is getting no benefit. Simply stated, if the condition is not there, the medication will not work.