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.
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.
Lawrence Diller quoted in major ADHD article
The current issue of Congressional Quarterly Researcher has a major lengthy article on ADHD/ADD, its treatment and controversies. I was interviewed for the article and am quoted several times in the piece including the closing comment. I was also misquoted (someone who spent time in the penitentiary did not become a policeman -- they were two separate people). Here's the link: http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/.
The Homework Pill
- Details
- Category: Opinions & Editorials Opinions & Editorials
- Published: 06 June 2012 06 June 2012
(First Appeared in the Huffington Post 6/5/12)
“Can you give me some Adderall that will help me get my homework done?” Joey, a sixteen-year-old high school sophomore asked me near the end of a meeting with his father and me. I was surprised by his request, but I shouldn’t have been – I’ve been prescribing drugs like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta to children for over thirty years. Yet Joey’s request did catch me off guard because I had known Joey and his family for a dozen years for problems other than attention deficit disorder (ADD). He had always been an intense, persistent and socially awkward boy but now he wanted a medicine that could assist him in homework completion.