Thanks, Slate headline writers, for setting us back another 20 years. I'm talking about those of us who responsibly and carefully provide treatment for our AD/HD children that includes medication. It's not like we don't already get plenty of grief and skepticism from biased and underinformed educators, parents and near-strangers already, but it's great that you decided to jump on the bandwagon. Let's not ignore, however, the fact that the actual facts that are eventually revealed in the article don't truly indicate that Ritalin or other AD/HD medications don't work. The author does finally get around to mentioning that, "once the study ended, many families simply bagged the drugs and therapy that may have been helping. So it also comes as no surprise they weren't better eight years later. Improving so-called compliance with treatment is a huge challenge (half of patients don't take their medicines)" It's not that the medication didn't work, it's that the parents and patients didn't work. For those of us adults who benefit, and those of us whose children benefit, from proper treatment that includes medication, this article is insulting and inflammatory. For those of us who spend time and effort in educating ourselves on what AD/HD really is, how it affects us and/or our child, what the best treatments are, what the benefits and risks can be, and then make informed decisions followed by a long-term commitment to monitoring, adjusting, and continuous re-education, headlines and articles written like this ensure that the discrimination, disrespect, and ridicule we often receive will continue, supported and encouraged. Thanks a lot.

I agree with KateD. The approach to writing the article was irresponsible and misleading.

I don't think it was the actual article that was problematic, but the people writing the headlines. Slate continually decides to put titles on articles that have little to nothing to do with the actual point of the article. The people who write the headlines should be canned.

I commented below but thought you might like to read an article I wrote because I was so irritated by the media coverage of the MTA study. I explain what the study actually meant to do and found.

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The article by Hells Bells is exactly right.

It should be obvious that the kids most likely to continue ADHD medication over a period of years are those with the most severe symptoms. Those with mild symptoms are much more likely to discontinue treatment and may no longer need medication.

If you compare kids with more severe ADHD who are on meds and they are doing as well as kids who don't need meds, then that is a wonderful outcome and is powerful testament to the value of medication.

Without medication, those kids with more severe ADHD probably would not be doing nearly as well as kids not on medication.