Raeann Balko’s personal account highlights how standard ADHD treatments can impact children’s identity and emphasise the need for more holistic, understanding approaches in education and healthcare.
In second grade, Raeann Balko was sent to a psychologist because she could not sit still or concentrate. She was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and the school responded by placing her on Adderall and telling her mother she could not attend classes without medication. What she remembers most is not support, but the message that something was wrong with her and had to be corrected so she could fit in.
Balko says the medication dulled her personality and left her feeling unlike herself. When it wore off, she became irritable and withdrawn. Later, she was placed in special education and, by her account, was given the answers to tests rather than being taught in a way that helped her learn. Her schooling, she says, became less about education than compliance.
Her experience sits uneasily beside current medical guidance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in childhood and can continue into adulthood. The agency also stresses that diagnosis is not based on a single test, but on a full evaluation that draws on medical history, interviews and observations from parents and teachers. The Mayo Clinic similarly notes that treatment often combines medication with behavioural therapy, social skills support and parent training, rather than relying on drugs alone.
For younger children, the CDC recommends behaviour-based approaches first, including parent training and classroom strategies, while medication may be considered more often for older children. Healthline, in an overview of ADHD medicines for children, notes that stimulant drugs and non-stimulant options can be effective, but side effects vary and treatment should be matched carefully to the child’s age and needs. That distinction matters, because Balko’s account is a reminder that treatment without understanding can leave children feeling managed rather than taught. She says it was not until she was 34 that she began to understand herself more fully, and that being neurodivergent is not a flaw to be erased but part of who she is.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
