Spring Training has started for professional baseball, and college baseball teams have been at work since January. It is time to get in shape for the 2008 baseball season.

I love baseball - always have. I was an "All Conference" pitcher and Captain of my college baseball team. I coached at a University for four years and have coached at the High School level for four more. I was a "bird-dog" scout for the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers for a few years, and I have coached Little League teams forever. My nephew is a pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization, and a legitimate prospect. Really, I love baseball.

But there is a strange and perhaps disappointing story about ADHD and MLB that has come out since the release of the Mitchell Report.

It seems that in 2006 there were 28 major league players who had diagnoses for ADHD, and were receiving treatment with stimulant medication during the season. They were permitted to receive such treatment with stimulants through MLB's "Therapeutic Use Exemption" program. Now, there is no story here - at least not yet. There was no story until MLB placed the use of amphetamines on their "banned substances" list. Then things changed.

In 2007 the number of TUEs requested by major league players jumped from 28 to 103 for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This increase was so startling that even some sleeping Congressmen woke up and decided to make it an issue for the media as a part of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearings on the abuse of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball.

I received this email from a friend. Before publishing it I wanted to check it out, so I visited the "Urban Legends Reference Page" at http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/dustoff.asp where they have verified the account, the names, the entire sad story. This event took place in Ohio, in the spring of 2005.

I wanted to pass it on to you, our readers, for your information and as a warning. I know that it has nothing to do with ADHD, but it has to do with children, and with life.

Many of you will remember that about two years ago we had a wonderful young girl from our community die at the age of 10 from the "choking game." Her parents are friends of mine and the pain that they suffered is beyond description.

I would like to live in a world where children and teens never died, and especially never died from seeking a ten second "high" or by playing with they thought was a cool "game."

May this letter below help to educate us all as parents. --- Dr. Doug Cowan

First, I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name is Jeff. I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwide for its crime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point we were # 2 in the nation in homicides per capita. I also have a police K-9 named Thor. He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years old because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and I still train with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that there was no way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn't allow it. He would tell on you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about drugs.

Recently the staff at the ADHD Information Library was asked if children with ADHD were protected under the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. This parent wrote that if in fact ADHD was included in the Disabilities Act, then perhaps her child was "being discriminated against."

The answer to the question is somewhat long and complicated. So we will begin with writing that while someone with ADHD may qualify for protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, not everyone with the diagnosis of ADHD will qualify. And that may include you or your child.

Certainly parents want the very best for their children. And people tend to want everything that they feel that they are "entitled" to from the government. But sometimes we can expect too much from our public agencies, and sometimes we look to the wrong places for help. So let's examine the issue in detail.

The ADA and ADHD

The Americans with Disabilities Act was established by Congress in 1990. The purpose of the Act is to end discrimination against persons with disabilities when it comes to housing, education, public transportation, recreation, health services, voting, and access to public services. It also aims to provide equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.