[Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
Hi Dr. B. I had Michael with me for ten days recently and he was without Ritalin. He does lose focus on some things but no more or less than any other 11 year old who has never been bonded or taught basic life skills. The reason I took him with me was he had been suspended from school on the Thursday for two days for slapping another child. When I asked him what happened he said the child called his mom (actually his grandmother) fat and crippled. He said the teachers and school didn't want to hear his side. When I dropped him off at school I informed them not to give him any more Ritalin and if he was misbehaving to send him home. The secretary gladly gave me his Ritalin (I don't think she likes having to hand it out). Anyway Children's Aid Services took the boy from school on Wednesday claiming the conditions of the house were the reason. The house is a pigsty and that is being polite however they know it has been deplorable for years. We had cleaners going in and were getting the child out of the house as much as possible with the intent of helping him to understand that there is better in life. This way he wouldn't be traumatized by sudden separation. They claim it has nothing to do with the Ritalin however I beg to differ. The school officials took offence at what I did and used the CAS who has an office in the school. [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
On Thursday they had a court time to set the date of a hearing. The judge after reading the report was "shocked and appalled" that this child hadn't been taken out of the home sooner. The CAS only got to tell their side of the story. The concern of his Ritalin was brought up and the judge asked if the child had ever been tested. The answer was no!!!! The grandmother, who doesn't have a chance of getting him back, asked to speak after she had been asked by us and duty council not to say anything. By the time she was done the judge has Michael going to the Doctor (the same one who put him on Ritalin) however she said she wanted him to see a Pediatrician. The Doctor who prescribed Ritalin is a family doctor only. Michael will be better off out of the grandmother's house however if they put him back on Ritalin he's finished. He hates it and was begging me to home school him [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
. At best I figured he could spend the summer months with me and then look at getting him tested and enrolled in a Montessori type of school. How do you combat the pressure. The judge at least appointed Michael his own lawyer. Depending on his backroom standing with the CAS counsel we'll have to wait to see if this will be good or bad. I can supervise visits between Michael and his grandmother and he is permitted to come to my home and to attend church. I have sent copies of your reports to everyone I can except CAS. They'll try and use pieces for their own purpose. That's where it stands right now. Take care. There is a child Psyche however he can only take new patients by referral from the family doctor. The Ritalin one. I am going to try and get Michael's lawyer to request this doctor to test Michael [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
. His reputation is that he is not a pill pusher and looks for environment and diet and similar type of root causes for the lack of attention. John *. ******** |
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