ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is increasing alarmingly with statistic suggesting that about 1 in 25 children diagnosed as having ADHD. The common ADHD symptoms are lack of attention and impulsive, hyperactive behavior. The disorder is normally treated using medications and other therapies and with the use of supplements; ADHD symptoms may be reduced. ADHD is normally diagnosed in children under 7 and can effect individuals throughout their life.

At present there is no agreement on the actual causes of ADHD. Individuals with this condition do not have any physical differences to people without ADHD, it just appears that their brains work slightly differently. A number of environmental reasons, as well as biological theories have been suggested and scientists are continuing to work on understanding the condition.

Traditionally ADHD has been treated using stimulant medications that although sound contradictory, can lesson symptoms and improve concentration and attention span. However, there are a number of side effects that can occur when taking these medications and some parents and individuals would rather look to other ways of managing symptoms. This is where supplements can help.

Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids that are found in fish oils are supplements have shown to relieve some ADHD symptoms. A trial carried out in Durham, England on 120 children showed that those taking fish oils reduced hyperactivity, inattention and impulsive behavior, which had positive effect on learning and concentration in school. Essential fatty acids can also help to improve eczema, dry skin, reduce excessive thirst and frequent urination, control asthma and allergies. All of which are common to children with ADHD.

Amino acids

The brain used neurotransmitters to control learning and behavior. Without adequate neurotransmitters these elements become impaired. Neurotransmitters are formed using amino acids and from protein. Research has shown that children with ADHD tend to be born with less neurotransmitters, suggesting a genetic link. Therefore, by supplementing with amino acids behavior, memory and mood may all be improved.

Zinc

Zinc deficiency is another factor linked to symptoms of ADHD. Studies have been carried out where children are given a zinc supplement alongside conventional treatment or a placebo. The children taking the zinc supplements showed significant improvement over the children following the conventional treatment alone.

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Other supplements for ADHD that could prove helpful:

• Iron

• Magnesium

• Colloidal minerals

• L-carnitine

• Vitamin C

Although these supplements ADHD treatments are natural treatments that may effectively provide relief for ADHD symptoms, parents are advised to consult their child’s doctor before starting on a supplementation regime.



By: Sue Perkins

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From medical options to alternative solutions, resources for ADHD vary in their availability, variety, and mode of use and extent of effects after treatment and therapy.

The Internet is one of the best resources for ADHD. There are many articles and references to the latest research that you can find. We’ll explore some of the options in this article.

Medications - This tends to be the first line of defense when one seeks for ADHD treatment through the use of medical intervention. Once a person is diagnosed with ADHD, the physician normally provides an initial treatment plan to alleviate the behaviors that are causing concern. The most popular medicines for ADHD are:

• Ritalin

• Straterra

• Concerta

• Aderall

These are stimulant medications that are designed to reduce the common ADHD behaviors and slow down thinking to allow time for thought before action.

Biofeedback and Neurofeedback- These methods use the principle that the mind can learn to take control of unconscious actions within the body through using scientific interventions. For example, once an individual with ADHD learns the factors affecting his behaviors, he could learn to change the response and therefore alter the behavior.

Alternative Options - Therapies under the alternative options are continuously growing in number and many people who would not want the side effects of drugs opt for more natural treatments.

Herbal Remedies - Proponents of herbal remedies believe that some herbs contain the necessary components that help correct the abnormal stimulation of the brain’s neurotransmitters, thereby reducing ADHD behaviors.

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Nutritional Supplements - Supplements work on the principle that with modern mass farming methods, foods grown today are deficient in the necessary and essential nutrients the body needs. Thus, the best possible way of getting the most nutrients are to have balanced diet and regular supplements if required.

Behavioral Therapy- This therapy takes a more psychological approach to treating ADHD. It aims to modify the behavior of the individual through rewards and punishment in a way that it works towards eliminating unwanted behaviors while encouraging positive ones.

We have mentioned several treatment resources for ADHD patients. Each one of them has the potential to work for the individual. To optimize the effects, it is often best to combine two or three programs into an integrative approach.



By: Sue Perkins

About the Author:

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Appleton WI Director of LearningRx training center explains who can benefit from the help learningRx offers. Check out their website at www.learningrx.com/appleton.

As a non-medical treatment approach, behavior therapy ADHD treatment is a well-recognized therapy for children who have been diagnosed with ADHD. The process is also sometimes referred to as behavior management.

Although medications can manage the symptoms of ADHD, they may not be suitable for every child. For some children medication has little or no effect on behaviors, for others the side effects can be just as bad in different ways than the ADHD symptoms. Also for some children the medications may not address all the symptoms and others may just refuse to take it. This can sometimes happen in older children and teenagers.

Behavior therapy for ADHD aims to reduce ADHD behaviors by focusing on three main factors. Children, especially young children, generally want to please their parents and may change behaviors to gain parental approval. Behavior therapy can also work by using positive reward as a motivational tool and also by the avoidance of negative consequences (punishments).

So, the idea is to increase the emphasis on the child achieving parental approval with rewards for positive behavior and discouraging inappropriate behavior with consistent punishments.

Having a child with ADHD can be like living in a war zone with constant tension, arguments and fights due to the frustrations felt on all sides over ADHD behaviors. Parents are constantly having to nag, berate and cajole to get anything done and children get fed up always being in trouble and labeled as ‘bad’ or naughty. The relationship can quickly break down.

So going back to behavioral therapy and focusing on aiming to increase the child’s desire to please their parents there needs to be some time out from all this aggression where parent and child can enjoy an activity together. The best way to increase some goodwill between parent and child is for the child to choose an activity and then work with the parent to complete it. Parents need to ensure that they use motivational language and not try and take over or correct the child. This doesn’t have to go on for hours, about 30 - 40 minutes should to be enough.

By spending quality time together that’s fun, your child will start to enjoy Mom or Dad’s time and will hopefully become more willing to please.

The use of the positive reinforcement can be a powerful tool in behavior therapy. ADHD kids generally spend much of their time doing something they shouldn’t and getting reprimanded for their actions. It’s not very often that they get told they’ve done something right. It is generally much easier to criticize than to praise but if you make the effort to thank them or compliment on the behaviors you want to see more of the likelihood is that they’ll be repeated.

As well as verbal rewards you can also use other rewards. For example: for every good behavior your child earns a point that they can then accumulate for either a toy or a special treat of some kind. Try to avoid food treats though as these can encourage bad eating habits.

Negative consequences work in a similar way. Once you have explained to your child what is expected in a certain situation and they have understood you can use predetermined punishments if their behavior is not acceptable.

By punishments I don’t mean physically hitting your child, rather the removal of some privileges. In order for this approach to truly be effective you must be consistent or your child will soon realize that there is a difference between what you say and what you do.

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For behavior therapy treatments to work parents must be very clear about what their expectations are for their child’s behavior. The children need to understand both the actions they are expected to do and also the consequences for not carrying out those actions. Parents must be consistent with both reward and punishments and take care not to over react to situations.

If you are interested in designing a behavior therapy ADHD plan for your child then speak to your doctor who should be able to give you a referral to a qualified professional.



By: Sue Perkins

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