An Overview Of Alternative Treatments For Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
|
|
Since so many would rather avoid the use of stimulant medications for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder if possible, a growing need for the development of alternative treatments for ADD ADHD has developed over the past twenty years. Although there are many products that claim to help any child with ADD ADHD, the truth is that there are only a few non-medication treatments for attention deficit disorder that have actually undergone even the simplest of clinical trials. Most alternative treatments have never been carefully studied to determine their effectiveness in the real world.
Our four favorite non-medication treatments for attention deficit disorder have been studied in the real world. They are Behavior Modification therapy, the Nutraceutical medicines called "Attend" and "Extress," Brainwave Biofeedback training, and Eating or Diet Interventions.
Counseling can have positive benefits under certain circumstances, such as the skill of the therapist in working with ADD ADHD individuals. Most therapists have little experience working with this population.
"Attend" and "Extress" are excellent alternatives to prescription stimulant medications. They are very complex formulas, engineered to optimize brain functioning in individuals experiencing problems with attention, impulse control, temper, paying attention, or over-activity.
EEG Biofeedback training, also called Neurofeedback, is about a twenty year old technology. With the continuing development of faster and faster computers it has become a viable alternative treatment for attention deficit disorder. There is a great deal of research on EEG Biofeedback which you should read if you are at all interested. The EEG Spectrum web site for great information on this treatment option.
Eating programs, or diet interventions, may also have some positive impact on individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although we do not feel that this intervention is as effective as either the Attend and Extress, or EEG Biofeedback training, we do believe that every individual with ADHD should try a diet intervention.
Many individuals with ADD ADHD will also benefit from nutritional supplements. The most effective are probably Essential Fatty Acids (Omega Oils) and certain minerals such as Zinc. The essential fatty acids are found in the "Attend" nutraceutical. They can also be found in Flax Seed Oil or Borage Oil. They can also be found in fish, and you can simply feed your child more tuna fish.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.
|
|
|
When Your Chicks Leave The Nest
When my son was 18 (and had finished school), he moved into a flat with two of his mates. They were boys we'd known throughout his high school years and the flat was only ten minutes from home, but I cried for two weeks!It just seemed to me that a major part of my life was over. When your kids are little, you assume that they're always going to be around, leaving trails of Lego blocks all through the house and dirty rings around the bath-tub from all the mud they've accumulated while building cubby houses down the back yard.But they're not. They grow up and want to spread their wings and live their own lives.WHEN YOUR CHILDREN LEAVE HOMEMy son told me that the reason he wanted to move out, wasn't because he didn't love us or want to be with us. It was beca...(related: Parenting)
Character Education
Every parent wants their child to develop positive character traits. One way to supplement your child's character education is to act as a filter for the movies and television shows your chil...(related: Parenting)
Life Lessons In A Glass Of Beer
It was blisteringly hot last Saturday. As I took that first sip of a cold quality beer I knew it was sure to ease my thirst. However, I never expected that in that same frosted mug were also lessons on how to be a better Dad.Often as fathers we find parental inspiration in the most unlikely of places. For me, further insight into my parenting skills came to me just last week while attending a seminar on beer & BBQ'ing. Perhaps it was the samples of fine micro-brews, or spending time in the company of other Dad's, but as our speaker discussed the secrets of brewing a premium beer, my mind began to draw comparisons to parenting.I learned that when it comes to making beer, everyone starts out with roughly the same raw ingredients?b...(related: Parenting)
10 Things You Can Do To Help A Shy Child
There are a few points about shyness in children which will help you better understand the best approach in dealing with your child. You will need to identify the nature of your child's shyness. Children are shy in different ways for different reasons. Understanding the nature of your child's shyness will help you develop a program geared towards your child's specific needs. Here are some tips to help you get started.1. First of all, are you sure your child really is shy? Some children like to size up a situation before they jump in. Caution should not be misunderstood as shyness.2. You'll need to find out the type of situations that make your c...(related: Parenting)
Hearing Our Seriously Distressed Children
How do we deal with our seriously distressed children and adolescents?Adolescents are in a period of seeking autonomy and self-determination. These qualities can aid them in becoming agents of active transformation in their own lives. For one to recover from distress they are in need of being able to regain hope and to have an effective exercise of their free will. (Breggin, 1996). Adolescents based on their experiences formulate thoughts and feelings and begin to create values and meanings for themselves.Those adolescents who are suffering from serious emotional distress have become lost on this path t...(related: Parenting)
Hints On How To Encourage Children To Read
Hints from Ruowen Wang? Keep a small basket filled with joke books, magazines, short stories, books of questions and answers, and books like Ripley's Believe It or Not in ea...(related: Parenting)
Internet Dangers - Protecting Children From Internet Jeopardy
Parents are in a unique position to "monitor" their children's internet activities and to observe their behavior with respect to any actions generated by the child's internet use. If children...(related: Parenting)
Clean Slates And Fresh Starts
Hope, excitement and anxiety all wrapped up in fresh haircuts and new clothes. Pens, pencils and notebooks, the smell of a new box of crayons and a brand new book; it all speaks of such promise.It's the first week of school and everyone starts with an "A". Children are on their best behavior as they cautiously gauge their new surrounding. But once those first days fade and familiarity takes shape, the playing ground is no longer even. A pecking order becomes evident as cliques form and personalities emerge. And it is this pecking order that ...(related: Parenting)
Handling Failure -- Teaching Kids How To Profit From It
There is nothing pleasant about failure, at least not at the time that it happens! Failure embarrasses us, feels bad, and often costs us money. Little wonder that people avoid failure like the plague.As parents, we unwittingly pass on the message to our kids that it is bad to go wrong or fail. Teachers punish pupils directly or indirectly, for making mistakes. Their peers never let them liv...(related: Parenting)
After The Driving School
If you visit search engines you can find several resources to assist you on this subject. Try searching on the phrase "parents with teen drivers". Alternatively we have tried to make this easy for you if you visit our news page on this very topic.A few resources on the web for parents are:Parent-Teen ContractYou might also consider using a driving safety contract between you and your teen. This is an agreement that your child signs, in which he agrees to be a safe driver by following all restrictions you have imposed or risk losing his driving privileges. An example of this can be found at:http://www.ipromiseprogram.com/Talk It OutWork...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | Baby Care Info | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting