This is how  it used to be when I saw a child with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: “You know, Dr. Chan, I really don’t think the medicine’s working,” the parent would tell me. “I just don’t see any difference in his behavior.”

“Well, the medicine has probably worn off by the time you see him at home,” I’d say. “What does his teacher think?”

“She hasn’t called me, so I assume there hasn’t been any trouble.” Then: “Oh—I was supposed to give her that questionnaire to fill out, wasn’t I?  I’m so sorry, I totally forgot.”

As a developmental-behavioral pediatrician specializing in ADHD, I used to have this conversation with parents at almost every single follow-up visit, leaving me frustrated. …