The premise of legislation proposed by Rep. Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, is that a law is required to prevent children from becoming needlessly medicated for behavior problems attributed to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and to protect parents from being pressured by teachers to place their children on medication.

In fact, a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that Utah ranks very low (48th out of the 50 states) in the percentage of children diagnosed with ADHD and 46th out of 50 states in per capita use of stimulant medications to treat ADHD.

Morley's current proposal runs for eight pages and contains so many exceptions and specific restrictions that an average educator would be more inclined to say nothing to a parent for fear of violating some obscure part of the bill.

Proposed bill language would also have the intended effect of asking teachers to discriminate between behaviors associated with physical and psychological manifestations of illness to justify a call to a parent. This would, in effect, ask teachers to make a judgment that exceeds their training. We do not need legislation that further impedes the ability of parents to understand the nature of their children's difficulties.

Parents also have a right to information about the complete range of effective treatments for their children. School psychologists in Utah strongly support the rights of parents to make educated, informed decisions regarding their children. Professional school psychologists are trained to discuss options with parents regarding the pros and cons of all interventions, including the possible use of medications.

These conversations draw from knowledge of well-established factual research and sensitivity for the decisions that parents make in determining what is best for their child. It is virtually impossible for parents to make an "informed decision" when they lack vital information. To withhold information from parents about a potentially effective treatment is irresponsible and only serves to limit their decision making.

Ultimately, parents make decisions about the possible use of medication based on conversations with physicians, not teachers or other school personnel, including school psychologists.

If parents and their child's physician do decide to pursue medication as a treatment option, school psychologists and other school personnel also need to provide ongoing feedback to physicians to help evaluate the effectiveness of these treatments.

In fact, physicians in the Intermountain Pediatric Society have developed guidelines that rely on school psychologists, teachers and other school professionals for important information to aid in their own diagnosis and medical treatment of behavioral and/or attention difficulties, including ADHD. Morley's legislation is reactionary, confusing, unnecessary and a waste of precious legislative energy.

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Dan Olympia, an assistant professor in the department of educational psychology at the University of Utah, is writing on behalf of he board of directors, Utah Association of School Psychologists, of which he is a member.