By second grade, it was clear that although Zack Smith could sit in a

chair, he had no intention of staying in it. He was disruptive in class,
spoke in a loud voice and had a hard time taking turns. His parents fed
him a series of medications for ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder, many of which didn’t work. Zack, who attended school in
West Hartford, Connecticut, was placed in special classrooms, where
he showed a propensity for lashing out. Twice suspended, he was
miserable. He didn’t seem to care about anything at school. When his
parents realized that his path would likely lead to worse trouble, they
pulled the ripcord on eighth grade.

Where   Zack    eventually  landed  was spread-eagled   on  an  east-