One of the author's main focus is to encourage Americans to slow down in our fast forward society. He feels that the big hype over attention deficit disorder is a way for children to be medicated, usually with Ritalin, to help relieve the guilt of parents for feelings of falling short in the child rearing department. This is also a scapegoat for children to lack responsibility.
I have to say that I totally agree with the author on this subject matter. I always believed that ADD was promoted, especially in school districts, because these ADD children were outside the norm of what they knew how to handle. Teachers I don't feel have the training to really single out a child as ADD. Society, as DeGrandpre puts it, is so busy trying to move forward as such a fast pace, they don't see the need to slow down to help these "ADD" children. Their solution is prescribe drugs to these kids.
My cousin is a prime example of this. He is a very smart child, but tends to lose focus. Instead of trying to help him focus and learn subjects he very capable to learn, they did tests and says he needs Ritalin.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book and the author's view on the treatment plan for attention deficit disorder. Ritalin is too easily prescribed to teens, and even adults. It so easy to get your hands on that its often abused and taken for recreational reasons.
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I concur. It is a quick fix for teachers to "control" a classroom that may be over capacity. I do believe, however, that there are some children with neurological needs for Ritalin.
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