Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Nephew diagnosed with dyslexia, prescribed Ritalin. Help, advice, comments?

This has gotten kind of long - I'm sorry and I hope you'll slog through it.

My 9-year old nephew (in third grade) was just diagnosed with dyslexia. The doctor who diagnosed him has recommended he start taking a form of Ritalin.

My nephew does very well in math and with computers; he reads at his grade level, although he does not enjoy reading for recreation; and he has no behavioral problems at home or at school. He has a history of speech problems and has had extensive help with them through the school. He still confuses his "d" and "p" sounds when speaking and slurs his words to some extent, particularly when he gets excited or in a hurry. The school referred him for testing because he has trouble expressing himself at length, particularly in writing and to some extent when speaking. That is, he can write a simple declarative sentence, but expanding on what he is thinking or feeling is difficult for him.

His parents are concerned first of all about the diagnosis because the doctor the school referred him to spent only about 20 minutes with him. This doesn't seem to me like enough time to make a definitive diagnosis.

I'm concerned about the recommendation for Ritalin. I don't know much about dyslexia, but I thought the treatment was tutoring and extra help rather than drugs. The doctor's explanation was that when my nephew is confronted with a school assignment he has difficulty with, he becomes anxious, the anxiety makes it hard for him to focus, and the Ritalin can help his lack of focus. There just seems something wrong with this logic to me.

I'm also concerned because I have the vague sense that Ritalin can have some pretty unpleasant side-effects. I know it can be a life-saver for children who really need it, but it seems to me that if there's an drug-free approach it would be better to try that first.

So, here are my questions/concerns:

Does a 20-minute session seem like enough time to make a diagnosis of dyslexia?
Assuming a second opinion is a good idea, what kind of doctor would be appropriate - a pediatric neurologist, if there is such a thing? How would we go about finding one?
Is there a standard set of tests that should be done for a child in this situation?
Assuming my nephew does have dyslexia, is Ritalin an appropriate treatment? Are there drug-free alternatives that might be worth trying instead?
Are the Ritalin side-effects as bad as I sometimes hear?

Thanks for reading through this. I'd appreciate any thoughts anyone has.

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