An article in the New York Times, Oct. 9, "Attention Disorder or Not, Pills to Help in School," focused on the interventions of a child psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Anderson, who has opted to prescribe amphetamine medication for children who demonstrate attention problems in school. His excuse: “It’s too expensive to modify the kids environment, so we have to modify the kid.” Though he goes on to say that his decision to medicate comes with some angst, he states that “medications are being used on low-income elementary school children with faltering grades and parents eager to see them succeed.”

Wow! The age of drugging kids to genius status has now become as simple as a pharmaceutical wonder. All you have to do is pop a stimulant and off you go. No need for self regulatory behavior, no need for teachers and parents to collaborate towards identified positive behavioral outcomes for children, no need to teach impulse control, time management, study skills or basic skills that we used to teach in Kindergarten.

The very way we go about teaching children is antithetical to their inner selves. They are not meant to be sedentary, tranquilized sheep. They are meant to be active.

So, what’s the big deal, people ask. After all, who isn’t gulping some self-help pill just to make it through the day? You don’t see many pharmacies going out of business.

Many adults and more and more young adults are dependent on some medication or drug to cope with the pressures of their lives. It has become part of our societal pattern. Antidepressants are the third largest category of drugs sold in America, after pain killers and drugs to combat high cholesterol. Over half of all Americans now take some prescribed drug daily, a $9 billion industry. Let’s not denigrate those folks who are truly struggling with depression, anxiety or other health issues. I am talking about the prolific American penchant to look for the easy way out to handle life. Instead of exercise, we take some weight reduction concoction. Instead of dealing with issues head on, we cower behind some tablet that promises a life of instant relief. But, adults can make those choices. I am talking about kids.

Danger lurks in these medications. It suppresses appetites, causes wild mood swings, and the list of possible complications listed on the disclaimer for these drugs would make eating rat poison a safer bet. We cannot be lulled into the argument Dr. Anderson makes when he says, ““We might not know the long-term effects (of taking meds), but we do know the short-term costs of school failure.” This is not an either or fix. There are many things that we need to consider.

Children in other countries are rarely prescribed drugs for ADHD or anxiety. When I was in Japan on a Fulbright event, Ritalin was not even prescribed in the country. When I visited schools in England, Germany and Italy, schools and families regarded attentional issues as developmental. Schools accommodated the students with the itch to move by assigning interesting hands on projects.

So, what can we do in America? We can make learning more active. Kids line up, sit down, shut up and are reminded to do so for six hours a day. The very way we go about teaching children is antithetical to their inner selves. They are not meant to be sedentary, tranquilized sheep. They are meant to be active. Parents can turn the TV off, shut down the iPad, computer or whatever widget and introduce them to the great outdoors. We can cook a home-cooked meal and sit down at the dining table and connect with one other. It might sound awfully old fashioned, but kids benefit from a set bedtime. They benefit from unstructured outdoor play as much as setting time for them to read privately in their favorite chair each night.

 We can do a whole lot better to increase the learning outcomes and behavior of our children without drugging them. Yes, many of these recommendations take our time, or at least our focus on good parenting practices. But, isn’t it worth it? Aren’t your kids priceless?

William Shuttleworth has been a school psychologist, teacher, principal, superintendent, consultant and parent for over 40 years. He is currently a member of the Maine Charter School Commission and an advocate for children and families wanting something better for their children. He welcomes your opinions and views: wshuttleworth@hotmail.com