At age two, Rebecca was diagnosed by psychiatrist Dr. Kayoko Kifuji with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Pediatric Bipolar Disorder .

The case highlighted major failures in the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS), which had received multiple unaddressed reports of abuse and overmedication in the Riley home. Legacy in Psychiatry Rebecca Riley's death remains a cautionary tale regarding:

She was prescribed a combination of Clonidine (for ADHD/sleep), Depakote (a mood stabilizer), and Seroquel (an antipsychotic).

The case of is a significant and tragic event in child psychiatry and legal history. Rebecca was a four-year-old girl from Hull, Massachusetts, who died in December 2006 from an overdose of prescription psychiatric medications. Her death sparked a massive national debate over the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in very young children and the ethics of prescribing powerful psychotropic drugs to toddlers. Key Details of the Case

Before her death, school staff and social workers described Rebecca as a "floppy doll" who was often too lethargic to walk up stairs or hold a crayon.