I have been a teacher for many years and over the past 10 years have seen the diagnosis of children with ADD and ADHD explode!!! I have no doubt that there are children with ADD, however I believe that they are actually few and far between. GPs are very quick to prescribe "ritalin", often only on the information they are receiving from the parents, who are often at their wits end with the demanding behaviour. In Pattys post, she questioned why there is now so many children like this. My own personal belief is this:: 1. Lack of bonding with a primary caregiver in the crucial developmental years. Children often spend 11 hours a day in daycare for 5 years. 2) The creativity in children is no longer nurtured. There is far too much time spent indoors on computers and watching TV. 3) Lack of structured routine -children thrive on routine. 4) Children are growing up eating high processed, high fat and high sugar foods. I am sure that many parents with ADD children don't do any of the above, but from years of working with children I know that many do. I am not a professional, and I'm sure many will disagree . All I can tell you, is that after many years of working with children, including working in a special needs unit, I honestly believe that many children are being medicated unnecessarily. Patty, thats unbelievable that nearly the whole class said they had been diagnosed - in fact I would say it is quite disturbing. Here in New Zealand, in a school of 700, there would be likely to be 2 or 3 children medicated for ADD. Anyway, like I said , this is just my own personal opinion. Good luck to everybody!!!