Having established that ADHD is still an unclear syndrome and that there is still far from being any degree of consensus among the world's psychiatrists and psychotherapists as to its aetiology, diagnosis and treatment.

Widener (1998) reports an example of Ritalin being accepted by the parents maminly out of shame about their child and to soothe and placate exasperated teachers. One particular boy she writes about displayed a behaviour which was tolerable at home but not at school and he was therefore given Ritalin during school terms but not during the holidays.

In the authors experience, Ritalin is often prescribed by busy burdened child psychiatrists and paediatricians, as a way of managing months-long waiting lists for children and familes to be seen in NHS clinics. In this way this is, therefore, an issue of resources and politics, where the welfare of young children can be seen as not rating priority. Since child psychotherapy, with family work or equivalent, are not provided in sufficient quantity in clinics, hospitals and other public agencies, prescribing Ritalin for hyperactive children ca be a temporary option that satifies parents, teachers and medical doctors.

It is this authors belief that Ritalin is often used as a soft option in cases where more traditional therapy can be lead to an 'as good' conclusion with far longer lasting effects, Ritilan has its place in the medical world but it is not a 'cure all' treatment for all syndromes.

Extract from 'Journal of child psychotherapy' Vol 26 No.1 2000 by Maria E. Pozzi