March 31st 2000 - 00:40 a.m. BST
Many disturbing reports have been circulating recently following interviews by researchers for the forthcoming BBC Panorama programme, on the prescribing of drugs to children.
We asked the main researcher, Lynn Railston of BBC Scotland, for her reaction to the following reports we had received from a number of sources around the United Kingdom. We heard from more than one source that it appeared the main intentions of the programme with regard to the condition of AD/HD were to:
1. Discredit leading ADD/ADHD specialists in this Country
2. Promote the idea that parents are needlessly drugging their children
3. Attempt to portray that ADD/ADHD are not real conditions
4. Focus mainly on interviews done in America
5. Interview mainly anti-ritalin protagonists
Lynn Railston advised, "The Panorama programme will be impartial, accurate and fair and has been filmed in both the US and the UK. I would hope that your members will reserve comment and judgement till they have seen the completed programme when it is transmitted on April 10."
We look forward to reporting on the programme following its transmission.
We are also receiving similar reports regarding research for another BBC programme "That's Esther", hosted by Esther Rantzen. We hope to bring you further news on this shortly. We would like to hear from you if you have been asked questions by a researcher for these or any other programmes, whether you have been enthused or disheartened by the experience. We have yet to receive a single good report regarding either of the above programmes, so we would be equally pleased to receive either good or bad.
Simon Hensby for ADDers.org