if you think the meds do nothing but zombie them, you either had a bad experience or need educated more
As a medical professional who has went to school with a kid in the "special needs classroom", a kid who takes ADD/ADHD meds is zombiefied...especially if their inattentiveness comes from boredom.
I was told I had ADD around gradeschool. Because the stuff wasn't challenging and I didn't want to waste time on stuff I understood. They moved me into advanced classes and it held my attention. I've always gotten "bad" grades in blowoff classes because they were stupid and I didn't want to put any "work" into something that was dumbed down.
I'm sorry if your child has ADD/ADHD/Autism or what have you, the answer IMHO is almost never medicate first. Adjust the teaching regimine before medicating. The same should be said about all things "medical". Back pain should not equal Lortabs or Percocet IMO. If you have a traumatic injury, then hell yes give narcs, but don't give someone Lortabs for a pulled muscle. That's just stupid IMO. Much like giving adderal for a kid whose teacher is boring them so they act out.
Granted, some kids DO need to be medicated, but I would think long and hard before giving anything psychotropic to any child.