While there is some truth to this article, there are a few things very wrong about it.
Make that 3 kids that have not been diagnosed with ADHD. Mine hasn't been.
ADHD is usually diagnosed by pediatricians.
That's right, by people that are not really qualified to make that diagnosis in children that are usually at the wiggle worm stage. Many of these people do not want that kind of power. Part of this too falls on the teaching to the test attitude in our education system that requires kids to remain still in kindergarten and first grade more than they should. If you don't have kids, you can access the curriculum on your state department of ed. website. So, the teacher may make a referral. That said, if you have a kid with a wrong diagnosis it usually doesn't take that long to figure it out. Ritalin has the opposite effect on kids that don't need it. It operates like speed-which is why it is called the playground drug. Another problem is the zero tolerance attitude in schools.
No, judges do not always buy that. In fact, last year or year before there was a ruling in Florida that told the Department of Children and Family Services that they could not have their kids medicated simply 'cuz they wanted to. And if a kid has been diagnosed with ADHD by a pediatrician, the judge may order a psych evalutation to determine if the underlying issues require medication at all and/or to see a neurologist. Does the Judge rely on the psychologist and/or psychiatrist?
Yes, indeedy, otherwise the judge would be a psychiatrist or psychologist. They are not. That should be pretty clear. Public defenders run the age scale and may or may not have children. If you live in a state that treats your public defenders like crap and do not want to pay them then do not be surprised if, after having acquired experience, they take a better opportunity. There are those that believe in what they are doing. These jobs don't leave a whole lot of room for a life outside of the job. That is it. The job is your life. It is too exhausting to do anything else afterward.
By the same token, sometimes not having any children can make for a crappy person working within the system. It's like watching a kid flip out in the middle of a store that is screaming and crying and throwing a tantrum only to have some fool give you dirty looks and say a bunch of stuff that retaliation might put you in prison for. You should only take a small child to a minimum of three different places a day. The problem is..........you work 6 days a week and you have to pay bills and acquire groceries and hit Target in one shot or your household is screwed for the next two weeks. It boils down to "world view" and should be graded on an individual basis.
I think many kids are over diagnosed with this and bipolar and I find it odd. So, if the courts are regulated maybe, just maybe, this is something that the general public is getting taken for a ride on their ownish.