To me I guess it would depend on the severity of the symptoms in the child and how its effecting the child's life. I have seen many children (i hve none of my own, but hae friends that do) that do well with positive coping mechanisms and parental support. They did well in school and seemed to be doing very well overall. I have another friend who wasn't so lucky and their child has severe ADHD and ODD. They began him on Ritalin and it was a complete turnaround. With positive coping, the medication and therapy, their child is a straight A student with no behavior problems and acts like himself. They found just the right dose to prevent him from being a "zombie" and he lives a completely normal life. You really just have to look at your particular situation and determine if the benefits outweigh the risk. There is really no one answer to this question. It is very situational.