Rights and wrongs of Ritalin

Prof Colin Blakemore writes a thoughtful piece in today's telegraph on Ritalin - the best line being 'the explosion in diagnosis of ADHD, and in the prescribing of Ritalin, implies an unconscious contract of convenience between over-pressed doctors, frustrated parents and teachers who can't cope'. He thinks that genes are the underestimated component. Incredibly he doesn't mention fragmented families or family breakdown - but you only have to look at the comparison tables for incidence of psychiatric problems in 'looked after' children [46% have at least one diagnosed psychiatric disorder] - to see that the lack of a loving, stable home has to be a, if not THE, significant factor that causes children to be disruptive and unsocialised. [There are exceptions of course.] Oh, and Gordon now wants more of our 2 year olds put into daytime state care. Hmmm.