ARE NEW BRUNSWICK TEACHERS FOLLOWING THESE ORDERS????

This is an email that was sent to me last year from the Department of Education! I wonder if they are still following these orders?




From: Phillips, Deanna (ED) On Behalf Of
McInerney, Terry (ED)
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 1:29 PM
To: (ED) Superintendents (Eng.)
Cc: (ED) Directors of Ed (Eng.)
Subject: Medications - Ritalin

Recent stories in the Telegraph Journal and other media have heightened the public's awareness of the drug Ritalin, a drug which is generally used to assist in the treatment of ADD/ADHD among children of school age and adults. While educators
have a definite role to play in the referral process for children who are
displaying characteristics associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder, and in assisting the medical and psychological profession diagnoses
of this disorder,
Teachers are to refrain from suggesting to parents that prescription
medication of any sort should be used in the management of students'
behavior.
The diagnoses and prescription of medication for disorders that impact on a classroom's Positive Learning Environment remains the responsibility of the medical profession.
Principals are asked to remind teachers that the Department of Education recognizes that teachers have an important role to play in the referral process.
Suggesting to parents that they may want to consider discussing their child's attention difficulties with their family doctor comes as a result of a collaborative process involving the school-based student services team who have considered in- depth the child's strengths and needs. Teachers are encouraged to
share their observations with the school-based student services teams, and
with physicians.
Teachers can also serve as an important source of information in the monitoring by
the physician of appropriate dosage of medication.
Please share this information with principals, who will share with their staff.