I thought that for a ONE hour program, they squeezed in as much of all sides as they possibly could have.
My heart was aching for the 13 year old boy with the horrible neck and shoulder tic. I can totally relate to the frustration as difficult child had many tics when she was younger and due to certain medications, they were severely exacerbated. She eventually outgrew some of her tics and the ones she still has she chooses not to medicate to reduce.
I missed the first 15 minutes of the show so I didn't see the entire segment on the little girl (who they later showed when she was 12) but I didn't think she was over the top misbehaving, even when she was saying that stuff about cutting off heads, etc. I remember hearing kids at her age (4/5) say things like that all the time, on the bus, in the playground = it was part of fantasy playing and trying to get a parent's attention. Did they show any clips of that little girl having a meltdown and being violent at home before showing her in the DR's office? Maybe there was more to it that I missed, but I think that if that was the worst of her behavior, the DR jumped the gun, in my opinion.
I do think that there will always be a DR out there who is quick to diagnose and/or treat a child for something that may be a simple part of development. Likewise, there will always be a DR who is very hesitant to prescribe medications to war weary parents of a troubled child in need of immediate help and medications.
I thought it was a pretty well rounded program, especially since they only had one hour in which to present. I could totally relate to the weary looks and devastation the parents were feeling and expressing. When the interviewer asked the mom if she thought her daughter would ever get better and she said "no" and started crying, I did too. I hate that about this the most - they never grow out of mental disorder.