Not long ago I heard about new laws being enacted that would allow authorities to screen all school children for mental health and enforce treatment as they see fit. Parents could lose custody if they did not go along. All part of the “no child left behind program.” Isn’t that good, you ask? We could find the children that need help and help them. The question is how? Even if the lawmakers are looking out for our best interest, I see a few very serious pitfalls.

First of all, who’s going to be administering the “verdict” on your child? What if the screener is incompetent, overworked, or in need of medication them selves. Do parents really want to relinquish their right to decide what’s best for their children? And who’s defining mental health? Who’s making the distinction between a chemically imbalanced kid and one who’s experienced trauma and needs more love and attention?

A recent conference revealed that there is no clear way to diagnose ADD or ADHD. And if you could, then what do you do? Well, the current conventional treatment is medication, even though psychotropic drugs like Ritalin have been shown to produce some serious side effects, including depression and suicidal tendencies. I read an article which discussed the rash of school ground killing sprees. Apparently every one of the perpetrators had taken psychotropic meds. Yet we have school teachers and administrators regularly suggesting these “treatments” to parents.

This is a very disturbing trend that we may want to examine a little closer. The fact that there’s a political push to support that methodology is even more alarming. You’ve got to ask yourself, is it possible that there is an agenda here. It’s no secret that pharmaceutical companies were major supporters and financial contributors to politicians behind this legislation.

This month’s newsletter contains a couple of articles that highlight some different perspectives about challenging children. In “ADD: America’s Designer Disease” Dr. David Ross takes an alternative look at hyperactive tendencies in children and Patricia Baily shares information about how children today are a different breed. These articles provide some practical information for parents looking for alternatives to drug therapy. Personally, I’ve seen very positive results with kids in my care, so I know first hand that unconventional options are worth pursuing. (Network Care increases brain function) Parents and society as a whole may want to look a little deeper. Pretty soon they might not have the chance.

Check out www.citizens.org to keep up with health legislation