Tia, You are right, of course. Medication is not the only way to manage the symptoms of ADHD, and we have no more right to dictate the use of medication for a student with ADHD than we would have to require a cochlear implant for a student who is deaf. There are lots of reasons why some individuals choose NOT to use medication, including the two you mentioned (expense and side effects). I am surprised to see you list meditation or yoga as alternatives to medication for this population, though. While both may have a calming effect and might possibly increase ones ability to focus, it is hard to see how they would have spillover effects to the kind of classroom issues that often hamper a student's educational pursuits (such as distractability, organizational difficulties, and time management). Fortunately, there are many practical strategies that can help students with ADHD to *manage* their symptoms, rather than masking them with medication. Dr. Jane Jarrow