child on ritalin and other drugs with mom

we live in arkansas, my brother can not afford an attorney. his ex has had their son (10 yrs old) to numerous doctors and she is supposed to give 24 hrs notice before any non-emergeny drs visit. she has never let him know when she is taking him to a doctor. he started taking ritalin when he was 5 yrs. old and has since been trying other "behavior modification" drugs. the newest and current drug is something his mother found in a magazine that she wanted him to "try". this child has developed several different tics. He rubs his middle fingers and thumbs together in a circle, scrunches his nose, and most recently started clearing his throat. he does these things almost incessantly. his mother took him back to the doctor, and according to the child, he is supposed to stop taking the medication on the days he does not have to go to school. it is heartbreaking to see this child and know that he believes something is "wrong with him" when he just needs love and discipline. his mom could not deal with him when he was 5, so he has been drugged ever since. he has not grown emotionally or socially since then. we need some advice. can you tell me whether a judge can order her to stop giving him drugs until he can be re-evaluated. he has not been tested for adhd since he was 5.

If he wants to fight for custody, he can do that. If he cannot afford an attorney, he'll need to bone up on the law and then represent himself.

If she was ordered to do specific things and failed to do them as ordered, she could be found in contempt. Again, though, this will require action on his part. He has to file a petition asking that the court find her in contempt, and then a hearing will be held on the issue.

If he has any specific questions for this forum, he can ask away....

This is a common delemia amoung parents. Recent medical journal articles have addressed the over prescribing of Ritalin and other behavior modification drugs so you might want to do a little research on the web or your local library. Also a good resource will be the childs pediatrician.
Ritalin is a controlled substance and good standards of practice would dictate that the child be re-evaluated at least annually. It is hard to believe that this medication is being prescribed without his eveal.
Also, children on behavior modification programs are many times intitiated by the school system. If so, he should have an annual evaluation, called an I.E.P. or individual educational plan, to see if goals are being met. The father should be able to request a copy of this plan and eval without going to court.
It doesn't make sense, at least to me, why he should be on this medication only when in school. The behavior problem, if one exsists, is present whether he is in school or out.


Good luck