In the afternoon, children may leave school only to head to after-school day care to be picked up after dark by one harried parent. The family may then reassemble at home or meet in a restaurant for dinner. Once home, the tired children may attempt to do some homework. Soon the entire family will fall into bed for an exhausted sleep only to do it all again the next morning. Everything must be organized, scheduled, rushed.
Children feel the loss, and they take action for attention.
The parents seek answers and relief to the family turmoil. The school, which is also experiencing the child s defiance and aggression, seeks relief. Enter the school psychologist who provides the convenient answer. Short term relief can come from a wonder drug called Ritalin. As a result, the real root of the behavior problems are suppressed and hidden as the child enters a drug- induced stupor.