What You Need to Know about Ritalin

This book removes the clichés and media distortions about ADHD and the use of Ritalin. Dr Shaya (et al) carefully annotates every fact with the source of that fact. As a parent of an ADHD teenager, this book has provided me with a strategy to manage the ADHD situation.

If your child is "diagnosed" as AD(H)D, chances are someone is going to encourage you to consider Ritalin. You can dig in your heels and say, "Absolutely not! I would never DRUG my child." OR you can become informed about the nature of the condition knows as AD(H)D, its possible short-term and long-range effects, the pros and cons of Ritalin, and other approaches to treatment, and you can then make an informed decision about what your child needs. If you choose "OR," then this book is for you. The title of this book is a bit of a misnomer, because it is more about ADHD and its treatment than it is exclusively about Ritalin. The authors express the opinion, more than once, that the most effective approach to treating ADHD is a combination that includes drug therapy, education and counseling (for affected individuals and their families), and educational support. Two of the strengths of this book are that it is written by a team that includes an MD and a psychologist, and that it is comprehensive. A minor criticism: I wished for more detail in the section on psychotherapy. Additionally, fuller case studies, rather than short case examples, would have been helpful. All in all, as the mother of a child newly diagnosed as ADD, I was grateful for the sane and balanced approach of this book.