Argument and Persuasion of Home Schooling

Ritalin, generically known as methylphenidate, belongs to the group of amphetamine and amphetamine-type drugs. Amphetamines are stimulants, more commonly known as "speed." The incidence of taking Ritalin in young children is at an alarming rate. Peterson (1999) reports that at least two million children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder take Ritalin and other related drugs. The United Nations released a report in 1996 expressing concern over the discovery that 10% to 12% of all male school children in the United States currently take the drug, a rate far surpassing that in any other country in the world (Livingstone. 1997).

Despite this high level of drug use, there have been many people- parents, educators, medical professionals- who have been lobbying against the use of Ritalin. The literature, academic and consumer oriented, is full of stories and reports of the ill effects of Ritalin on children.

Donna Jones tells the story of how her son was affected by Ritalin. According to her report (Peterson, 1999), "soon after her son started taking the medicine, she was concerned that he seemed dazed and disconnected from others. Within a few years, Kyle believed he needed drugs to function. He began experimenting with other pills and substances, including marijuana, speed, and eventually heroin. In February, at the age of 20, he overdosed on heroin and died in an emergency room." Addiction to drugs is only one of the side effects of taking Ritalin that is feared by many parents.

Other reasons have been investigated to support the ban on Ritalin. These include the fact that the apparent benefits of Ritalin have not been shown to be long-term. This leaves us to question how long will the child have to continue taking this drug? According to Betsy Hoza, associate professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, "Taking a pill is a three-hour solution to the problem." She stresses that medication should not be the first treatment choice. "Behavior modification can help the child with problems getting dressed, eating, or packing a backpack in the morning. Medication can' t do that."

A major difficulty with depending on Ritalin to help a child with Attention Deficit Disorder is in the diagnosing of the disorder itself. ADD is not easily diagnosed with enough accuracy because its symptoms, inattention and behavior problems have been known to have other underlying causes such as nutritional deficiencies, poor eating habits, allergies to the environment and to food. Few children placed on Ritalin have been properly tested for these other causes.

Teachers now are faced with increasing pressures to produce students who are performing beyond a certain level. As Livingstone so outrightly states it, "teachers cannot respond to uncooperative and inattentive students by simply passing them on to the next grade. Teachers now become desperate seekers after anything that will enable them to improve the child's performance to the mandated level. Hence their eagerness to suggest the quick fix of drug therapy if the child's problem seems attentional." But he too argues that although the child on Ritalin may seem on-task for longer periods, what the Ritalin does not do is to produce long-term changes in cognitive functioning. What is needed instead of drug therapy is an overhaul of the education system. Education needs to seriously take into account individual needs of the students. Teachers must be able to tailor curriculum and materials to the different abilities and personalities of the children in any one class.