We have 2 kids...one probably has very mild ADHD and the other more severe. We tried meds with the mild child and the side effects outweighed any benefit (he wasn't eating lunch even on a really low dose). With the other child it makes an obvious difference and even she can tell when her meds kick in, when they wear off, etc. I've timed her numerous times doing simple math problems on and off meds and there is a huge difference. With the other kid, there was no major difference (although his IEP manager claimed there was but I just didn't see it).
This is such a personal decision and it depends on each individual kid/family. Some people are clearly pro-med, anti-med but it's not black/white like that, it just depends on so many factors.
I think the research shows that the majority of kids who start meds are no longer on them after a certain amount of time, and that in many kids (like half) they no longer meet the diagnostic crtieria of having ADHD once they hit adolescence. Whether or not they had been medicated or not does not play a role in how they function later.
