"my 9yr old son has been on it metadate 20mg for over a year now. only side effect is lost of appetite so i make him eat a big breakfast. he only takes it on the week days for school it has really helped him to focus. my sons grade improved from 60&#039;s to 90&#039;s. i like metadate because by the time he&#039;s out from school the medication has warn off and he&#039;s back to his normal active self. during the summer i also give him a break from the med and we do not have to tapper off in order for him to stop. we&#039;ve tried other medications that which had not so good side effects. metadate so far is the best."