Children
Children:
Diagnosis, Treatment and Alternatives: A guide for parents that includes
information on getting a diagnosis, alternative strategies for dealing with ADD kids, and
some basic info on medications.
Nutrition New
studies show that children diagnosed with ADD have lower levels of fatty acids and other
nutrients in their blood. These nutrients are critical for proper brain function.
Tips for Teachers
- By popular demand!
Allergies - Is
your child reacting to a food or food additive? Here's how to find out.
Another ADD
Checklist - What else might be causing your child's behavior: Use this checklist to help figure out what the cause of your child's
behavior might be.
Drugfree Dose
of Help for Hyperactivity. Reprint of an article found in
Science News. In a study, 37 medicated children were taken off their meds and the parents
and children attended training session. All of the children stayed off the medications for
one year after the behavioral training. Discipline techniques were stressed; children were
rewarded for good behavior with social activities and received social skills training.
Teaching Self
Discipline. There are some very effective discipline strategies
for Explorer kids which are initially more work for parents but the payoff is tremendous.
ADD kids often do not react well to punishment.
Alternatives in Education: Does
your child need medication only for school? If so, consider alternative education.
Besides homeschooling (very popular), there are several types of alternative schools which
most people have never heard of and in which creative kids with alternative learning
styles can thrive. For example, I've heard it said that there is no such thing as
ADD in a Sudbury School, a type of "free" school where learning is entirely self
directed.
The Epidemic of
Fatty Acid Deficiency. A study at Purdue University
found a link between low Omega-3 fatty acids and ADD and learning disorders.
Omega-3 fatty acids are as important as protein and they are the building blocks of
neurological tissue, but most of us aren't getting enough. About 20% of the U.S.
population is so deficient none can be detected in their blood. Deficiencies have been
linked not only to ADD, but to dyslexia, behavioral problems, depression, aggression and
many, many unrelated diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Modern
Grade-School Pressures: Too Much Homework, Too Little Freeplay Since 1982 homework for kids only 6 to 8 years old has tripled, while
recess, art and music classes have been cut. This is no return to traditional
values, but an anxious reaction to the rise of Asian economies.
Homeschooling with the Gallagher
Family: We started homeschooling this year in Connecticut, which is a very easy
state to homeschool in. Ryan jumped ahead a year in most subjects, and he plays and
runs around a lot more than if he were in the public school.
The Natural Born
Scientist: Many of our most groundbreaking scientists and inventors displayed traits
of ADD, and the "Inventor" temperament (ENTP) is one of the four most common
temperament types to visit this site and report they are ADD.
Beware the Low
Fat Diet. Low levels of fatty acids have
been implicated in both ADD and dyslexia, and low-fat/high carbohydrate diets increase
insulin levels, lower your blood sugar and cause all kinds of problems like fatigue and
poor concentration. Many experts now believe in reducing carbohydrates and raising
fat and protein levels for better health, even for your heart!
Attention Deficit Disaster:
An article by John McGinnis for the Wall Street Journal that discusses "learned
helplessness," a condition that can arise when adults believe a child is defective
and helpless. It's the serious downside of making too many accommodations, overusing
medications, and being overprotective of a child with ADD.
Praise Children for Effort, Not
Intelligence, Study Says (NY Times reprint). Researchers say that attributing a
child's success to his or her intelligence sets the child back; better to praise the
child's effort.
