By request, Patti Johnson, Colorado State School Board Member, provided the following explanation of the background and rationale for the resolution entitled: "Promoting the Use of Academic Solutions to Resolve Problems with Behavior, Attention and Learning."

Controversy and a certain amount of misinformation has erupted surrounding the State Board of Education's decision to pass a resolution entitled: "Promoting the Use of Academic Solutions to Resolve Problems with Behavior, Attention and Learning." I wish to ensure Colorado parents understand why the resolution was enacted and how it works in behalf of parents regardless of whether they believe their child should or should not take psychotropic drugs.

I first became aware of the issue in 1994 when the mother of an exceptionally bright child told me that she was being pressured by her son's school to place him on Ritalin. Since that time I have been contacted by numerous other parents who were pressured by schools to place their children on Ritalin or other psychotropic drugs. One Jeffco parent was reported for "medical neglect" and is currently fighting to regain custody of his child after he refused to follow the "advice" of a principal to place his son on Ritalin. Others have asked me why drugs are increasingly being used to handle problems which were once resolved with discipline and good instruction.

The problem began in 1968 when the second edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II) was published by the American Psychiatric Association. In it was a new category entitled "Behavior Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence." The diagnosis "hyperkinetic," a forerunner to what is now called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), appeared for the first time and large numbers of children were prescribed Ritalin. The DSM-III was released in 1980. Hyperkinetic was changed to Attention Deficit Disorder and several new disorders appeared including Conduct Disorder, Developmental Reading Disorder, Developmental Arithmetic Disorder, and Developmental Language Disorder.

Since the release of the DSM-IV in 1994, many of these disorders have taken on new names, but their nature has not changed. Parents and educators are generally told that these are biological disorders just like diabetes. But, unlike diabetes, the mental disorders have no biological diagnostic tests. Both the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health have recently admitted that the cause of "mental illnesses" is unknown — a fact which also contradicts the biological claims.

Among the diagnostic criteria for ADHD are: "often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly; often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace..." The DSM states a child has "Disorder of Written Expression" when "Writing skills as measured by individually administered standardized tests (or functional assessments of writing skills) are substantially below those expected given the person's chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education." The diagnosis which is called "Mathematics Disorder" in the DSM-IV is assigned when "Mathematical ability, as measured by individually administered standardized tests is substantially below that expected given the person's chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education."

It is clear that what we once considered a failure on our parts as educators are now dismissed as "mental illnesses" and treated with drugs. Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and other assessments show that the drug approach has failed to help our children learn. Newspaper reports across the country and scientific reports have raised the very real possibility psychotropic drugs are also linked to violence.

The subjective nature of the diagnoses for which these drugs are prescribed has resulted in considerable controversy, ranging from debates on whether the illnesses are valid at all, to whether they are being over-diagnosed or mis-diagnosed. Also due to the subjective nature of the diagnoses, teachers have found themselves pressured to be on the alert for behaviors that could be classified as one or more of these disorders and refer the child for treatment.

The State Board of Education has been attacked for entering a medical debate, yet the resolution actually directs schools to remain out of medical decisions. The role of educators is to teach. Medical decisions are to be made between the family and their doctor. One would not expect a doctor to teach a child how to read at the same time as he is examining his tonsils.

Contrary to some published reports, the resolution does not impact the right of parents to have their children take psychotropic drugs should they believe these are needed. But it does offer equal protection for parents who do not wish to have teachers acting as diagnosticians or pressuring them to have their children take drugs.

While we believe the vast majority of educators have remained out of the medical arena, it is our duty as elected officials to address the instances where educators have pressured parents to place their child on a psychotropic drug. We firmly believe that directing schools to stick to the use of academic solutions and to stay out of the medical arena is a vital step in ensuring our children get the education they deserve

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