Below is the response of Peter Breggin, M.D., to the AMA, presented in a letter that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The drug is almost always given to suppress behaviors that signal unmet needs in the child or conflicts between the child and adults. On an individual level, America's children need much more attention to their personal, family, and educational needs. On a social level, they need improved schools and family life and a value system that emphasizes their individuality rather than drug-induced compliance and conformity. The council report fails to cite any of the dozens of critical publications spanning decades.
Reviews instead conclude that methylphenidate has no positive effects on learning but can impair it.
The report ignores methylphenidate's many adverse effects. When these behaviors increase in number or intensity, it really signals that the child requires more individualized attention to unmet basic needs, such as a more engaging and individualized educational environment, more rational or consistent discipline in the home or school, unconditional love, or security and safety. The council report specifically denies that methylphenidate is used for behavioral control but the diagnostic items are entirely limited to behaviors. The drug is almost always given to suppress behaviors that signal unmet needs in the child or conflicts between the child and adults. The council report minimizes how widely methylphenidate is being used and abused.