Before agreeing to start your child on attention-deficit drug therapy, be sure to get answers to the following questions:
- What is the diagnosis?
- What is the medicine, and how does it work?
- Have studies been done on it?
- Which tests need to be done before my child starts the medication?
- How soon will I see an improvement?
- How often will my child have to take the medicine?
- How will the decision be made to stop it?
- What are the negative side effects of the medicine?
- What will happen if my child doesn't take it?
From Making the System Work for Your Child with ADHD, by Peter S. Jensen, M.D. (© 2004 Guilford Press, reprinted with permission.)
