How To Help Children and Youth With Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
Inattentive, Hyperactive And Combined Impulsive Behavior
These are very overused diagnostic labels that can limit children & youth, parents and teachers. The label often gets treatment. The child or youth may not. A variety of conditions get lumped together. This often hides the needs of each individual child or youth. Special classes, special drugs can sometimes be very helpful. Sometimes they may only deal with symptoms and may not help the child or youth feel good about themselves and give them good skills for the future. The conditions that can add up and combine to make learning and living extremely difficult include: perceptual challenges; body chemistry imbalances; impulse control difficulties; auditory processing; focusing difficulties; prolonged unresolved stress; unresolved traumas–especially to the body; depression or other mental illneses; anxiety; lack of effective communication skills; difficulty relaxing.
Without support, the condition can lead to a lifetime of misery, confusion, poor performance, unfulfilling relationships and suffering for everyone. Children & youth often develop antisocial behavior patterns in clumsy attempts to feel good when they feel so unsuccessful. This condition may be related to a combination of a vast number of factors including: genetics; exposure to environmental pollutants; stress; nutritional imbalances; anxiety; learned behavior; low self-esteem; unreleased body tension resulting from traumatic birth; falls and other childhood accidents. With proper help, children can learn to use their ADD/ADHD condition to their and society’s advantage.
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First, We Would Investigate |
Second, We Would Investigate |
For Long Term Support |
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On Our Own We Would Try: • Less or No TV, Movies, Video/Computer Games • Replace sodas, juices, sugars, fats, fast foods with water, veggies, whole grains, nuts, protein, fruit, slow food • Long Walks/Hikes • Nature • Wholesome Pleasures • Bedtime Stories and Chats • Back Rubs and Foot Massages • Pets |
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For Parents: • Restrict sugars, provide high protein, low sugar breakfasts, encourage drinking lots of water. • Address anxiety, depression, desperation and ADHD patterns in the whole family. • Explore support for being a parent. • Find family structures and methods that fit the child or youth and you. • Support the children or youth in finding positive things they enjoy and in which their high energy helps them succeed. |
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•Watch out for websites and information sponsored by drug companies. They want your business and may not give you all the information you need. • Be patient and kind with the child or youth and yourself. • Explore references to short term memory; working memory; auditory processing; visual processing; temporal and special sequencing. |
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Check out: www MedLinePlus.gov; www.KidsHealth.org; and wwwSchwabLearning.org (very technical); www.acestudy.org. |