If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, chances are that you've been told your child has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and would greatly benefit from Ritalin.

If you've taken that advice and gone to a doctor or psychiatrist who has prescribed Ritalin or one of the other psychotropic drugs like Cyclert, you've probably noticed your child is more complacent, sits still longer, and doesn't disrupt the class. But is this really good for your child? We need to ask: Are we too quick to label a child as "bad" or having "ADD/ADHD"?

Are we too quick to prescribe drugs that have known side effects such as decreased appetite, depression, tics, headaches and a "fuzzy head" as one child described it to me? Are we creating a generation of zoned out kids?

The answer is a resounding "YES!" Children who have a natural zest for life, a curiosity that knows no bounds, children who's inner lives are yearning for expression, who have incredible untapped intelligence and talents are being subdued into submission by people who don't have any idea what they're doing to the spirits of a generation of children.

It is the spirit of a child that makes him wonder at everything in the world around him. It's his spirit that urges him forward to explore, to ask questions, to learn, to observe. And it's his spirit that's being tampered with, forced to be "one of the crowd" instead of a self-directed individual--which is its purpose.

And we let it happen. We assume that if a doctor prescribed it, it must be ok. We think that because our child is quieter, he's healthier. We're told that because he can focus, he's a better student without realizing that before taking the drug, he had a wonderful curiosity about many things and now his curiosity is losing ground to mind-numbing drugs.

WHO IS BENEFITING?
Exactly who is benefiting from your child being on Ritalin? Usually it's not the child, but the teachers who don't know how to handle him, the parents who are tired of complaints from the teachers, and most of all the drug companies in the U.S. who manufacture more drugs of this nature than all the rest of the world combined.

Recent statistics of children on Ritalin are staggering with the numbers continually rising. Parents are being told they cannot enroll their son or daughter in school if they refuse to give their hard-to-handle child Ritalin. In some cases, parents who refuse to drug their children are reported to Child Protective Services for neglect.

With a 700% increase in the use of Ritalin in the past ten years, clearly an unacceptable number of youngsters -- estimated at 4 million -- are being drugged every day. They are being forced to behave the way their teachers and parents think "good" children do, kids who sit quietly at their desks while taking drugs that are known to have serious side effects. And the long term effects aren't even known yet.

In an article for Salon Magazine, Arthur Allen wrote that a study by Julie Magno Zito, a University of Maryland pharmacy professor, and several colleagues, detected a three-fold increase in the prescription of psychotropic drugs in the population they studied -- 200,000 kids age 2 to 4, most of them Medicaid enrollees -- between 1991 and 1995. He estimates that around the country at least 150,000 preschoolers -- a tenth of them 2-year-olds -- were on psychotropic drugs in 1995. Today, in 2000 that number must be even higher.

This is a major problem among young people today, children who will be the leaders of tomorrow in business, education, religion, science, technology and medicine. Ritalin is a drug. It is addictive. If Ritalin doesn't "work" others are prescribed. A child can spend almost his entire life in a world of drugs that effectively alter his innate talents and curiosity about the world around him so he can conform to society's fantasy of the "normal" child.

COULD IT BE ALLERGIES?
There are many things to consider about ADD or ADHD. Are there actually more cases in recent years or is it a "fad", a catch-all folder where children with a natural curiosity---or worse, allergies---are filed?

There's no question that the number of children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD is continually increasing so the question is: Why? What has happened to cause the number of children on Ritalin to soar? Let's start with the most obvious: that most children labeled ADD or ADHD are allergic to something in their diet or environment that is harmful to their bodies and minds. Unfortunately, there are dozens of possibilities. Schools are notorious for having sealed windows which effectively prevents fresh air from helping clean the atmosphere. New furniture and carpeting are often made with chemicals that give off fumes that can cause illness. Mold and spore proliferate in air-conditioning and heating ducts, sending allergens throughout the building. When people started complaining of headaches and nausea in their workplace a few years ago, the cause was quickly determined and labeled as "sick building syndrome."

It's more than coincidence that the rise in ADD/ADHD appears to go hand-in-hand with the increase of junk food in the diets of the American family. Read the labels on packages of your favorite food. You might be surprised to see that it contains dye that is known to cause cancer, preservatives and artificial flavorings. Can you pronounce all those chemicals? If not, follow the advice of our cookbook and "If You Can't Pronounce It, Don't Eat It". We saw yogurt covered raisins in the store recently and was horrified to discover that an ingredient in the covering is shellac. Shellac? Would you knowingly feed this to your child? Please read the labels.

FACT OR FAD?
Although some doctors dismiss the idea that sugar plays a part in hyperactivity, most parents will dispute that. They know that sugar sends their children "up the wall". I've gone into preschools at 9:00 in the morning to see the children eating a snack of chocolate cake with chocolate icing and Koolaid. And the teachers wonder why these hyped up boys and girls won't take their 10:00 nap.

HERE ARE SOME QUICK TIPS FOR HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH ADD OR ADHD

Remove sugar from the diet.
Read all labels and don't buy products with chemicals, coloring, or preservatives.
Buy organic food which isn't sprayed with pesticides.
Have your child checked by a doctor for allergies.
Suspect allergies if your child's ears are red, nose is runny, or has mood swings.
Check for vitamin deficiencies.
Have you recently installed new carpet? Bought new furniture? There are volatile chemicals used in both.
Is it genetic? Do you recognize yourself as having any of these symptoms as a child or young adult? Or now?
If your child really does need medication, investigate natural alternatives to Ritalin.

In CRC's work with ADD/ADHD children, we first discuss the child's diet with the parents and begin a course of art, music, puppetry, drama and writing at the same time the diet is being upgraded. Children of all ages respond to the arts. They become focused on an activity whether it's follow-the dots (which is also great for fine motor skills) or finger painting.

Dance and movement of any kind is wonderful since it allows an acceptable, pleasurable and creative way of expending their energy.

BE A CHILD AGAIN
Learn to play with your children. Think of games where they can use their imagination and hold their attention for a length of time.

Lie on the grass and look at clouds. Shifting shapes look like animals, houses and people.
Watch ants. They're fascinating and highly intelligent. Get a book about ants from the library to learn about how they build their communities.
Peer through a magnifying glass at just about anything.

ADD children often have trouble with the concept of in/out, over/under, left/right. Buy a pack of cards for this purpose are that are fun and educational at the same time. Ironically, these cards are available in the toy sections of drug stores.

There are children who must have medication, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Ritalin. Find a good homeopath or naturopath who has a reputation of treating children with alternative methods. Their natural remedies will work as well---or better than---drugs and have no side effects. Check the Internet for sites that discuss natural methods of dealing with ADD/ADHD. Parents' groups are wonderful sources of information and understanding both on and off the Net. The advantage of Internet groups is the immediacy of contact with people all over the world.

Patience and persistence will eventually bring dramatic results to the child and an improved diet will benefit the entire family. And best of all, you'll discover a "new" child whose spirit is flourishing as it was intended to do.