It is more complex than that. There is precious little research on the effects of drugs on children. A lot of the medication is prescribed outside of the areas where they have been tested and found to be effective (generally on adults). I don’t disagree regarding the necessity of the medication. It’s just that frequently there is so little information available to either prescribing physicians or parents. Even with an adult population there is a lot of trial and error to finding the right meds or combination of meds.

In my own family’s experience, I would say that we were very lucky to have protective resources available throughout the process of arriving at a diagnosis and appropriate medication–even though it meant a residential placement for a time. What was not good was the length of time in residential treatment in which no one asked whether the medication was exacerbating, rather than easing, the symptoms.