Recent reports that children under the age of 3 have received stimulant medication for ADHD has understandably led to an outcry about the potential harm to the developing brains of those children.  More strident voices have used the finding to take up arms against the use of stimulant use for any child and even the more radical belief that any psychiatric medication use with children and adolescents is inherently evil.  

The natural inclination to make eye contact with another person is sometimes disrupted in children and adolescents.  The observant clinician can use the nature of the eye contact disruption as a help in clarifying the underlying diagnosis that is likely responsible for the referral.  There are 4 possible reasons for disruptions in eye contact.