The issue of using medication to treat students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD) is marred with controversy over whether medication should be the main form of
treatment. Advocates of using medication report that using medicine correctly sees a marked
increase in students attention and non-disruptive behavior in the classroom. Opponents to the
use of medication claim that the risks of the medication do not outweigh the effectiveness of the
medication, especially over the long term treatment, and that other methods of treatment are
preferable.

The main form of medication used to treat ADHD is a stimulant used to activate the portions of
the brain corresponding to behavior management (such as methylphenidate and amphetamines),
while non-stimulant based medicines are an option as well (such as atomoxetine, guanfacine, and
clonidine) ("Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder", 2012). These medications are considered
by many as the main form of treatment for ADHD, as can be seen by a study of students in
Johnston County, North Carolina. The study showed that of the 10% of the responding student
population (6099 out of the 7333 children), were diagnosed with ADHD and 71% of those
diagnosed were receiving a medicated treatment (Rowland, "Prevalence Of Medication
Treatment For Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Among Elementary School Children In
Johnston County, North Carolina", 2001). Supporters of using medicinal-based interventions for
students with ADHD call to the successes of the treatment. Studies has shown that when
medicine is administered to the student routinely during the day showed a decrease in
interrupting, fidgetiess, finger tapping, and an increase with on-task behavior, as well as
increased accuracy of performance, improved short term memory and reaction times among a
list of other improvements (Solanto, Stimulant drugs and ADHD: basic and clinical
neuroscience, 2001, pp. 32-33). While there is a consensus that medication used in conjunction
with psychosocial treatments holds the best results, there is issue with a standardization and
availability of psychosocial treatments and how they are borrowing and adapting from many
different approaches, so that they are practical, efficient, userfriendly, and cost-effective (Weiss,
"Editorial: The Soft Underbelly of Research in the Psychosocial Treatment of ADHD", 2001). A
need to make the second treatment option, if only to enhance the medication-based treatment,
more available for families is an issue that supporters of pharmacological intervention.
Opponents of using medicinal-based interventions call to the risks of using medication and their
effects on the students. An interview with a personal friend that suffers from ADHD who opted
to avoid a medicine and instead is taking psychosocial therapy stated that the medicine he was
offered was addictive and that his mind eventually uses [the medicine] as a crutch, he stated
that without them, one could not focus without them, and your brain doesn't work as well
without them (2015). Other medical side effects are under scrutiny by opponents of the
medicine, with common-side effects include; decreased appetite, sleep problems, the
development of tics (sudden repetitive movements or sounds), or even a personality changes
(such as appearing "flat" or without emotion)( "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder",
2012). Studies on the effectiveness of ADHD medicine state that while in the short term, long
term effectiveness has not been shown. A study involving 61 students, half given medication and
half given a placebo showed that within six months, there was no differences found between the
two groups. A two year follow up study by Riddle and Rapoport with 72 children showed that
there no significant advantage for those using the medicine, and in fact that the students on
medication did far worse on WRAT reading and arithmetic than did the control group (Solanto,
Stimulant drugs and ADHD: basic and clinical neuroscience, 2001, pp. 36). With the need of the
students to be constantly medicated to ensure that their ADHD is treated, many opponents call
attention to the long term medical problems that can arise from the continued use of ADHD
medication; Ritalin has implications for cardiac problems over long term usage. Pemoline can
cause liver problems in some people. Imipramine can cause cardiac death or accidental
poisoning. Amphetamines have a possibility of overdose (Sommers-Tackett, "MEDICAL
TREATMENTS FOR ADHD CHILDREN"). It is for many, such as my friend, that turned to
psychosocial therapy to treat ADHD, citing its risk factor being far lower than the side effects of
prescribed medicine.
The use of medication to treat ADHD has affecting past that of just the student under treatment.
For the school and the teacher, they must ensure an understanding with the students parent on
the situation of ADHD, and they serve as participants in the diagnosis, and may broker different
forms of treatment, or rejection of treatment (Phillips, "Medicine Goes To School: Teachers As
Sickness Brokers For ADHD", 2011). After diagnosis, many students require constant
monitoring to observe whether or not the student is affected too much by the medication, or
whether the medication is not working throughout the day. (Sommers-Tackett, "MEDICAL
TREATMENTS FOR ADHD CHILDREN"). The teachers on the front lines to ensure that the
students needs are met by the school within the classroom. In the case of the students parents,
the parents must know of their childs options while undergoing treatment and the effects of the
different treatment strategies. In the sense of medicine, with ADHD rapidly becoming a more
regularly diagnosed disorder, many primary-care doctors can provide information regarding the
initial diagnosis of ADHD. The Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD shows that medicinal
care more effective in the hands of experts than community providers; bringing in specialists
to help primary-care diagnosis and prescription of medicine can help a family find the right
treatment for their child (Weiss, "Editorial: The Soft Underbelly of Research in the Psychosocial
Treatment of ADHD", 2001). Using other forms of treatment, namely psychotherapy, changes
from the familys area. As stated above, there is an issue with the availability of psychosocial
treatments and ensuring that they are practical, efficient, userfriendly, and cost-effective for all
families. Families dealing with a child with ADHD are many times seem demoralized and
fatigued, caught in the binds of varying degrees of negative feedback loops such as nagging and
oppositional behaviors (Weiss, "Editorial: The Soft Underbelly of Research in the Psychosocial
Treatment of ADHD", 2001). Having educational sessions with a doctor to help families
understand the disorder will help the family as a group help their child with treatment. Also,
ensuring communication between the school and the family can see the best results for the
students treatment. The parents also should be monitoring their child while under medication for
any issues or concerns that come up from the childs activity (i.e. change in mood) or anything
the child says to determining whether a medication is needed, or a change in medication is
needed (Sommers-Tackett, "MEDICAL TREATMENTS FOR ADHD CHILDREN"). Finally,
for the student with ADHD, knowing coping strategies that work and how they can master these
coping styles that have been taught by a professional, with it is a specialist during diagnostic or
during psychotherapy (Weiss, "Editorial: The Soft Underbelly of Research in the Psychosocial
Treatment of ADHD", 2001). For some, students with ADHD should be also given the choice of
going into a medicated treatment, or, as in the case with my personal friend, choose to opted out
for weekly psychotherapy sessions. As he states, the therapy he majors on retraining the brain to
focus and does not use medicine at all (2015). While this method my not be available for all
patients, even he states that he must travel for his sessions because of issues with insurance,
having other options for the student to make a choice on their treatment can help the student be
more involved in their active treatment.