And of those five, only two will turn out to have it, he said. A key problem is that there is no definitive test for ADHD, and its symptoms look a lot like many other problematic behaviors of childhood, especially to an untrained eye. And lots of the teachers don't have a lot of knowledge about what this is all about. I don't think a lot of people are sophisticated enough to make a real clear diagnosis. While Fadel concedes that Ritalin brings order to a classroom, she said the order comes at a price.
Many people disagree.
Before Ritalin, Ben Evola couldn't complete tasks he started because his focus would wander. With Ritalin, he said, he rarely loses his focus in class and finds school interesting. It was great. Before, you couldn't tell him to go upstairs, brush his teeth, get his shoes and get ready for school. He might go upstairs and he might get out his toothbrush, but that would be it.