Hunter College
Jessie Daniels, Ph.D.
Medical Sociology
Fall, 2006
Worksheet for VIDEO: “Medicating Kids”
Synopsis of the film: This documentary produced by FRONTLINE (PBS) follows four
kids (Nicholas, Alex, Noelle, and Robin) from four families in Denver, Colorado. Each
child has been diagnosed with ADHD/ADD. The program also takes a brief, though
uncritical, look at pharmaceutical companies who hire doctors to promote their products,
and anti-medication groups who deny the existence of ADHD/ADD.
1. When the film opens we meet Nicholas and his parents, who are conflicted about
medicating their son. How do the parents weigh the different sides of the debate
about whether or not to medicate their son?
2. Noelle is the only girl interviewed in the film. Noelle struggles with the drug and
for a while, goes off it. What are the pressures for Noelle to go back on Ritalin?
3. Noelle’s mother, Carol, says, “The Ritalin changed every aspect of Noelle’s life.”
However, another reading of the film suggests that it is Noelle’s parents lives who
have been changed. Before Ritalin, Carol describes her life “endless string of
tense parent-teacher conferences.” How does medicalizing Noelle’s condition
change things for her parents? What are the social rewards for Noelle’s parents
if she stays on the Ritalin? How is this connected to the Singh article?
4. Alex is diagnosed with ADD and depression. How does this definition of Alex as
“ill” fit into his family’s narrative about Alex?
5. Robin is a teen-ager at the time we meet him in the film, and he deeply resents
being forced to take medication when he didn’t want to. At one point, his mother
says, "We began to treat Robin like a disorder, as a pathology." This is, perhaps,
the most explicit instance of medicalization in the film. What are the
consequences of this process for Robin? For his family? For his mother?
6. The film spends some time interviewing Wm. Dodson, a psychiatrist who
attributes ADHD/ADD to biological causes and also works for Shire Richwood,
the pharmaceutical company that produces Adderall. How does he fit into the
process of medicalization? Why is a biological explanation appealing for
Dodson?
7. The filmmakers characterize critics of Ritalin and the ADD/ADHD in rather
negative light. How do they go about doing this, both in terms of content and in
terms of visual style? How might they have done this differently?
8. Ultimately, the filmmakers leave unquestioned the notion that ADD/ADHD is a
valid diagnosis. Why do you think this is so? How might they have challenged
this within the film? How is this different from the approach the filmmakers took
in the previous film, “Selling Sickness” toward “social anxiety disorder”?
Media Literacy Questions:
Everything you see in a film (or any form of media) represents an intentional choice by
the director, editor or cinematographer. Since we get most of our information about the
world from visual media, it’s important to understand how to make sense of media
images. Use these questions to help you make sense of these images.
1. What are the physical qualities of the film (check where applicable):
____ Music
____ Narration
____ Special effects
____ Color
____ Live action
____ Background noise
____ Animation
____ Dramatizations
____ “Talking Heads”
____ Historic Footage
____ Subject Interviews
____ Newspaper Headlines
2. Note how camera angles, lighting, music, narration, and/or editing contribute to
creating an atmosphere in this film. What is the mood or tone of the film?
3. Does this film appeal to the viewer's reason or emotion? Does it intend to make you
think or feel? How does it make you feel?
4. What is the central message(s) of this documentary?
5. Consider the effectiveness of the film in communicating its message. As a tool of
communication, what are its strengths and weaknesses?
6. How do you think the filmmakers wanted the audience to respond?
7. What information do you gain about this event that would not be conveyed by a
written source? Be specific.
8. Documentaries are often criticized for using too many “talking heads,” that is experts
on the subject of the film who shown talking. Different filmmakers have come up with a
variety of ways to solve the problem of “talking heads.” How does the filmmaker
address that problem in this film?