To your first point, I would strongly disagree, and actually argue that you are the one being wildly inaccurate and ignorant. I know many people first-hand who

To your first point, I would strongly disagree, and actually argue that you are the one being wildly inaccurate and ignorant. I know many people first-hand who were affected negatively from the drugs. As an example, I once had a very charismatic friend who was extremely bright, happy, and just fun to be around. In middle school, he started taking medication. He became detached, depressed, quiet, and generally dull. He would at times be himself, but overall, other friends and I noticed a drastic [negative] change in his behavior. To me, that is extremely serious, especially as a child where you are forming your character and social abilities and exploring your imagination. Another example, I have a cousin who takes the medication. Throughout her childhood, she experienced unusual and unpleasant side effects like headaches, stomach pain, anxiety, sleep issues, etc. Her doctors have rotated her through different medications, but it seems there was never a golden ticket with 0 side effects. You argue that these are negligible side effects, like coffee. I would say that these are much worse than coffee, at least in the extent of how they effect people, and at the same time would argue that it doesn't even matter if the effects WERE the same as coffee. Do you want your child to be on coffee and redbull? Not me. I know plenty of other people who experienced the same symptoms and personality changes I described here, and although that is not conclusive evidence, there seems to be a large consensus on this issue (as far as the side-effects and changes in personality). And if you think there is no chance of any long-term health consequences derived from prolonged use of these "mild stimulants" like ritalin and adderall, then I am going to reluctantly step back and say we should just agree to disagree. To the second point, you seem to be confusing my observation as a call to blindly end the use of medication. My argument isn't that we must end the use of medication and ignore the issue, it was that we need an overhaul of the education system so that we can get rid of the pills and preserve the well-being of the children. Not a practical or easy solution, I agree, but it is an important one at the least. And of course there will be children who fall at the far end of the spectrum, where no matter how accommodating the system is, they will still need the assistance of medication to truly thrive. But at least we can safely say we tried at that point, instead of assuming that these children are all "troubled" and need big pharmamama to feed them the milk of corporate greed.