In my previous column, I promised to provide a handout that I developed in 2013 regarding psychotropic medication and children. But another tool I neglected to mention regarding optimizing school performance is a neuropsychological evaluation. I’ve referred many kids for these because they focus on higher brain functions such as attention, problem solving, memory, language, IQ, visual-spatial skills, academic skills, and social-emotional functioning. It can answer many specific questions about learning and provide rich information that schools can use to tailor an education plan oriented toward precisely how your child best learns. Here’s the handout that I said may surprise you.

ADHD DIAGNOSES, PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS, AND KIDS – AN INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARENTS

Let me begin by saying that I am NOT anti-medication, by any means; I’ve seen many psychotropic medications used for kids and adults, and some can have a significant positive impact on behavior, moods, impulsivity, and other symptoms. And for certain mental health clients, these medications can literally be lifesavers – e.g., for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. But I AM in favor of thorough evaluations by experienced professionals and careful, informed parental decisions before giving kids ANY psychotropic medication.

Have you seen the TV commercials that attorneys advertise about bad drugs and lawsuits one can undertake as a result of health problems related to taking bad drugs? These situations arise because drug testing is, by nature, experimental and the reason the drugs are research-tested on humans is to discover/assess side effects that cannot be predicted when the drug is under development by the pharmaceutical companies. The vast majority of drug research is done on adult subjects, because there are many ethical issues related to drug research with child subjects.

A little-known fact that the mental health field does not regularly share with parents is that the vast majority of psychotropic medications are not (repeat not) Food and Drug Administration-approved for use with kids, primarily because of the ethical issues. Around 1999, I attended a medications workshop given by a child psychiatrist from southern Wisconsin. In his presentation he shocked most attendees (including me) by announcing that, at that point in time, approximately 90 percent  of psychotropic medications were not FDA-approved for use with kids. In late 2013, I turned to the Internet to obtain an update on that figure and the site I visited stated that about 70 percent of these medications remain non-approved for kids. I then contacted a psychiatrist friend of mine (who also does training for a pharmaceutical company) to verify this, and he did.

One example: Let’s look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses and medications. The use of these medications and this diagnosis approximately tripled in the 1990s alone, for reasons that are unclear. Don’t be talked into considering ADHD medication (for your kids) by friends, relatives, teachers, or even doctors. Often, medication is the first thing considered or recommended, but it doesn’t need to be. There are alternatives. A former colleague of mine has been using a EEG Neurofeedback for an extended period, with great success. His technique is covered by health insurance and many of his child clients are able to go off their ADHD medications completely. There are alternatives to other diagnoses/medications as well.

One longer-term, unintended consequence of using these medications on kids is that their use, almost without exception, completely eliminates the armed forces as a potential career for anyone who has a history/record of taking these medications. I verified this in 2008, when I did some extensive Internet research on this topic; I was able to directly access medical and policy manuals for each five branches of the armed forces.

FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN CONSIDERING MEDICATION FOR YOUR CHILD:

1. Always remember that, as parents/caregivers, you have the final decision (the laws protect this for you) regarding whether your child is given ANY medication, whether psychotropic medication or medications for physical maladies.

2. If you suspect your child might have ADHD, first seek out a trained professional such as a child psychiatrist, developmental pediatrician, or other physician with specialized training in evaluating ADHD.

3. Don’t be talked into these medications by anyone other than the aforementioned professionals, and even then consider it carefully. If the professional does recommend medication, ask that professional for current information about whether that particular medication is approved for use with kids – they should know or be able to the find the answer for you, probably through an FDA resource.

4. If the answer is that the medication is not approved for kids, do your research before considering it. If you make a hasty or uninformed decision, you may adversely affect your child’s brain and/or body development in unknown ways that may not surface until later in their lives, and the impacts could be permanent.

5. Remember some important definitions: “Off-label” use of a medication means that it is not FDA-approved yet. “On-label” use means that it has gained FDA approval. Keep in mind that a certain medication might be “on-label” for adults but “off-label” for children.

Jim Catlin is a licensed clinical social worker who holds a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from UW-Stout. He invites readers to submit questions and offer ideas about what they would like to see in this column. Submit questions/ideas to editor@ChippewaValleyFamily.org.