Welcome to DocDiller.com

I'm a behavioral/developmental pediatrician who has been on the front-lines of clinical practice with ADHD, ODD, OCD, ASD, learning problems for over forty years. I've written some books and numerous articles for professionals and the public. My opinions have been expressed not only on television and radio, but also in front of Congress and the President's Council on Bioethics.
Whether you're looking for an sensible expert to help you make decisions about your child locally or are interested in the opinions of a doctor who prescribes medications to children but takes a broader look at the issues involved, you've come to the right place. Take a look at the opeds. Get some answers to questions on ADHD and psychiatric drugs for children.
Diller Live Interview on Minnesota Public Radio
Lawrence Diller will be interviewed on the Daily Circuit News Program on Minnesota Public Radio on Wednesday, November 14th at 9 am local time (7 am Pacific Time). He is scheduled to be on for 45 minutes. The topic will be the emerging adult ADHD market for stimulant medication.
You can listen to the program locally on air in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area and other feeds in Minnesota. You can also listen to a live streamed version by going to http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/ or afterwards by going to the archives of the Daily Circuit on the same MPR website.
Give Me My Adderall!
- Details
- Category: Opinions & Editorials Opinions & Editorials
- Published: 13 October 2012 13 October 2012
(First appeared in the Huffington Post on October 10, 2012)
"Give me my Adderall!" Matthew, a 15-year-old patient of mine, recently demanded of his parents. When they refused, Matthew slashed his left wrist with a box cutter. His parents called the police and he was taken to the county hospital emergency room for evaluation and possible admission to the psychiatric ward. His parents had withheld the medication for Matt's purported attention deficit disorder (ADD) because they hadn't liked the side effects of irritability and anger they had associated with their son's use of the medication.
Read Dr. Diller's Latest Essay in the Huffington Post
- Details
- Category: Opinions & Editorials Opinions & Editorials
- Published: 26 August 2012 26 August 2012
This essay first appeared in the Huffington Post on August 24, 2012:
Getting 'It' Into the New York Times
Yesterday a letter of mine was published in the print and Web editions of the New York Times. I had read an op-ed over the weekend, "Raising the Ritalin Generation," which had stimulated my letter. Click here to read the letter.
I thought it was a pretty good letter. Still the chances of getting a letter in the Times are pretty low. So when I received the call on Tuesday from the Times editor doing some fact checking on the letter and me, I was pretty pleased that a forum as prominent as the Times was willing to air my opinion.
Letter Published in the New York Times
It's always nice to have a forum for one's views so I'm pleased to let you know that a letter of mine in response to a weekend op-ed, Raising the Ritalin Generation (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/raising-the-ritalin-generation.html), was published today in the print and web editions of the New York Times. Here is the text of my letter:
In America, 4 percent of the world's population uses 88 percent of the Ritalin produced worldwide. Among the many factors contributing to our fixation on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Ritalin, two stand out. The first is economic: our nation's continuing relative decline among world players and the growing gap between the 99 and 1 percent. The second is our worry, perhaps excessive, about our children's feelings if they are "below average."
The fears about our children and their futures have led to an intolerance of differences or diversity in children's temperaments and talents. Several years ago I predicted that I might have to medicate "the last normal child." Apparently, according to Bronwen Hruska, Manhattan may have gotten there first.
Here is the link to view all the letters: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/opinion/deciding-whether-to-medicate-a-child.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss. Please as always let me know what you think.