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Archive for the ‘adhd’ Category

If I told you that by prescribing a medicine for your child which could lead (and sometimes does!) to substance abuse, then wouldn’t you think again? Of course you would! Ritalin and Dexedrine which are drugs prescribed for millions of ADHD kids across the USA are often called Schedule II drugs and that means they are in the same category as cocaine and other recreational drugs. It also means that they have a high potential for abuse. While these medicines, properly prescribed can help children with ADHD, other info on ADHD is often not mentioned.

For example, other children and teenagers, if they find that a child is on one of these psychostimulants, they will also pester them to sell them any they have left over. I know a girl who was approached by quite a few of her classmates at a high school when they found out she was on Adderall. At that time, they were fetching up to $2 a tablet. Doctors, teachers and parents someimes forget that, although there is a lot of free ADHD info on the Net, certain ADHD problems are swept under the carpet.

What do we really know about ADHD ? Not much ! We do not know what causes ADHD or indeed if it is purely genetic or hereditary. We have not yet found a satisfactory means of treating ADHD except by prescribing pills.

In the third millennium, medical authorities, doctors and psychologists seem to be waking up from a very long sleep. They have finally understood that giving pills is not the answer but rather teaching skills. The work of Gregory Fabiano who won a distinguished White House award for his work on ADHD, is finally impacting on the info on ADHD. Together with William Pelham a renowned expert on ADHD, their work shows unequivocably that ADHD behaviour therapy or very simply put, parenting skills, will have a greater impact and a much more positive effect than any pills will have.

Other studies show without a shadow of doubt that parental support with effective parenting skills will have a much more positive effect on an ADHD child. A UK study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that the children who had more contact with their grandparents had a much less troubled childhood and showed few symptoms of ADHD such as inappropriate behaviour, behaviour disorders in general and were much better at social skills both with peers and teachers.

All the experts now tell us that the key to info on ADHD treatment is to take a comprehensive approach which may include medication of some kind, behavioural interventions like ADHD behaviour therapy. School support, diet and exercise will make up the rest of the equation. As regards medication, we know that an ADHD homeopathic cure will have no side effects or risks for the child’s health. This sort of free ADHD info is becoming more widely available although there is a long way to go.

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The morning alarm goes off and you drag yourself out of bed; “drag” because you stayed up too late the night before. You got so engrossed in exhaustively researching a prospective purchase online that you just couldn’t stop until you were done.

After you take your ADHD medication, you begin to feel more alert. Suddenly ideas start to ricochet across your brain, faster than you can keep track of them. You feel energized and capable and on top of the world and write run-on sentences like this one and have all these great plans to accomplish so much with the rest of your day!

You have several big projects that need doing (not to mention a variety of smaller tasks), so you sit down to get to work. Almost immediately you’re sidetracked because something else you have to do pops into your head.

If I don’t do it now, you think, I’ll forget about it; I’d better do it now. So you jump up, intending to do the thing that popped into your head; except that, on the way to do it, you see something else that needs doing. After you do that instead, you can’t remember what you got up for in the first place.

Soon it’s evening and it hits you that, if you’re going to get the project done that’s due tomorrow, you’ll have to pull an all-nighter tonight. Thanks to caffeine, sugary snacks and the “motivation” of impending failure, you finally manage to focus. The night flies by and the project gets done (and done well, since we ADD-ers tend to be perfectionists).

Then you grab a couple of hours of unrestful sleep and drag yourself out of bed yet again, even more tired than you were the previous morning.

Why does this always happen? you wonder. Do I have to feel so stressed all the time? I thought this medication was supposed to be helping me. Why can’t I channel my energies and harness my thoughts so I can get more done?

Taking Action to Help Ourselves

While medication definitely improves the symptoms of ADHD for most people, what we need to do to improve our lives is to implement structure and organization in a way that works with us and for us - not against us.

Before we knew we had ADHD, we felt guilty and blamed ourselves for what we suspected were weaknesses in our characters. We were lazy, or unmotivated, or irresponsible; or we felt “broken” or “weird” because we couldn’t do things that came easily to others.

Now that we know better, it’s our responsibility to learn how to get the help we need. Remember that knowledge is power.

Consider a Coach

As if in answer to the ADHD person’s prayers, some sympathetic genius came up with the idea of the ADHD coach. David Giwerc, co-founder with his wife, Marla and president of the ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA) - and an ADD-er himself - denies that the concept originated with him.

“I have been coaching longer than most, but I can’t say that I was the first ADD coach,” Giwerc says. “I can say that I was the first ADD coach to specialize in coaching entrepreneurs and business owners with ADHD. I can also say that ADDCA trains more skilled, educated ADD coaches than any other coach training program.”

Giwerc also serves as the current president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), which describes itself as “the world’s leading adult ADHD organization.”

What ADHD Coaches Do

“(ADHD coaches) tell our clients that they’re not broken; their brains are just wired differently,” Giwerc says. Besides educating clients about their ADHD, coaches support and empower them by helping them to:

#1 - Let go of and change beliefs that are obstacles in their lives: things like, “If I can’t do it the way ?they’ want me to do it, I’m no good” (rather than “I have a different style that works for me”) and “If I don’t get the result I want, it’s a failure” (rather than “it’s a learning experience”).

#2 - Identify their passions, talents and successes - i.e., the things they love to do and do well - and focus on them rather than exclusively on their weaknesses

#3 - Understand how ADHD characteristics, such as creative thinking and hyperfocus, can be utilized as strengths when integrated into their daily schedules

#4 - Develop their unique skills

#5 - Create customized structures and strategies that utilize their natural learning and processing styles so that they can function more effectively and achieve their goals

#6 - Learn what do to when they get “stuck” because of ADHD-related challenges such as procrastination, perfectionism, distraction and lack of time awareness

While coaching is no substitute for medication, Giwerc says that it can be part of a comprehensive approach to managing ADHD that also includes 1) accurate diagnosis; 2) identification of the most effective drug and dosage for the individual; 3) psychotherapy, if needed; and 4) physical exercise.

Where Do I Find a Coach and What Should I Look For?

Many websites advertise ADHD coaches. At the ADDCA site, for example, you can find the names of suitable coaches by clicking on the “Find a Coach” tab and then choosing the specialty you want (for example, “Adult” or “Children and Adolescents”) and/or the location you prefer. Coaches usually offer a free introductory session so that you can both determine “if there’s a connection,” Giwerc explains.

Although the International Coaching Federation (ICF) certifies coaches in general coaching skills, there’s currently no ICF certification specifically for ADHD coaching. Coaches should be graduates of ADHD coach training programs, however, such as ADDCA’s 12-month long-distance program that leads to the ACG (ADD Coach Academy Graduate) designation. Graduates of ADDCA may then pursue advanced training to earn certification as a CAC (Certified ADDCA Coach).

For helpful guidance about selecting an ADHD coach, see “The ADDA Guiding Principles for Coaching Individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder” at the ADDA’s website.

The Nuts and Bolts: How Does Coaching Actually Work?

Although you can meet with a local ADHD coach in person, most ADHD coaching takes place via telephone or e-mail. Three or four 30-to-60-minute phone sessions are usually scheduled each month, with e-mail or brief phone contacts in between. Fees may run between $200-$600 a month and are probably not covered by insurance (but you should check with your own health plan to be sure).

Coaching relationships don’t have a set timeframe. They can run from six months to two years or more, depending upon the individual client’s desires and progress.

As important as a coach’s credentials are, even more crucial to a successful coaching experience is the ADHD client’s willingness to do what he or she can to create a more fulfilling life. Coaches can inspire this willingness. “We teach our clients to shift perspective, to discover and embrace their strengths instead of their challenges,” Giwerc says.

In fact, adds Giwerc, “With the help of a well-trained coach, a client learns how to take his or her natural ADHD tendencies and convert them into strengths.”

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One of the best things about the Internet and about serious, scholarly, and devoted professional help sites is being able to find the accurate, timely, and truly informative articles related to your search. You can spot a helpful ADHD article just this way. While we can find amazingly suitable materials in the regular bookstore on ADHD (Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder), such as Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo’s lifesaving book, or those equally useful works by Thom Hartmann, Shari Holden, and others, the ADHD article is quicker, more easily accessible by anyone anywhere in the world (online, I mean), and is just as valuable as written by an ADHD specialist, expert, and/or professional.
You can start with the ADHD site or ADHD ezine (online magazine), for example to find almost any ADHD article perceived as relevant to you:
* BTE, borntoexplore.org, provides information and a number of helpful, informative ADHD articles for scholarship and personal use.
* ADDitude magazine is online and by subscription, and has so many practical and realistic ADHD articles for the professional, the student, the parent, and the adult that you will definitely want your own copy! I came by the magazine through the college where I worked, and since then has read every magazine issue cover to cover. I then had to subscribe to resist the sinful temptation of keeping the copies I borrowed.
You will also want to have a look at the following ADHD article databases:
* The absolute premier site for ADHD articles is ADD Consults (addconsults.com). It will take you a little time to figure out how the system is constructed, but once you decide on a subject area, or sub-topic, you will get ADHD articles on everything from ADD strategies to co-morbidity information to ADHD articles about children and adults with ADD. The articles are upscale and professional, clinical, and/or personal, and are a must read! The site is built by Terry Matlin, MSW, ASCW, and features the astoundingly superbly brilliant support of ADHD article writers who are big names in the field?Edward Hallowell, John J. Ratey, Sari Solden, Thom Hartmann, and Michelle Novotny, to name just a few!
And once you find the primary source that is most user-friendly and most helpful to you, do not hesitate to sign up for a free newsletter, one which offers an ADHD article or two weekly or monthly (whenever the newsletter is delivered to your inbox):
* Terry Matlin, ACSW, also offers a newsletter which features an ADHD article, book reviews, and blurbs on many ADHD aids/products for the ADHDer, as I call her or him (as I call myself).
* Breath and Shadow, a monthly (or thereabouts) newsletter created by ROSC as the Journal of Literature and Disability Culture, is for writers and artists with any or all disabilities, and issues a monthly newsletter with a predetermined theme, but occasionally you might get an ADHD article.
As you can see, you can find the most scholarly ADHD articles, or the most personal and still accurate and relevant ADHD article written by a non-credentialed individual who is or knows someone who has to put up with the frustrations and challenges as well as special and unique gifts of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a.k.a ADD. Come on, any sites to share with me, anyone?

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While ADHD is a medical condition that might cause your child to have to deal with many different problems during their life, part of the symptoms that you see might be aided by supplements. ADHD supplements are minerals and vitamins that you can give to children who have ADHD - and most of the time, these vitamins and minerals help to calm or lessen the symptoms that a child is dealing with.

When you are looking at supplements for ADHD, something that is important to remember is that simply giving a child vitamin or mineral supplements is not going to cure his ADHD. However, what it might do is help the symptoms. This is because many children who have ADHD actually have a vitamin or mineral deficiency that causes they to have stronger than average symptoms. The behavioral symptoms of ADHD are going to cause problems for your child both at home and at school - and so providing them with ADHD supplements will help you to ease the burden of some of their symptoms.

Supplements for ADHD include both vitamins and minerals that seek to help your child with a nutritional deficiency. Many times, with regular nutritional supplements, it will take months to see any changes in behavior. However, with a mineral deficiency, correcting it with ADHD supplements can show a change in behavior within a week. This can be a dramatic improvement and can help you regulate your child’s behavior much sooner.

The most common mineral deficiency that leads to ADHD symptoms is magnesium, so when you are choosing a mineral supplement for ADHD, try to find one that has an excellent magnesium ingredient. Also, keep in mind that many children who have ADHD are actually deficient in more than one mineral, so you want to be sure to regulate your child’s diet and provide them with minerals to help ease their behavior. Along with magnesium, most children with ADHD are deficient in calcium, zinc, and iron. Therefore, a multi-mineral supplement is your best choice when you are looking to deal with ADHD with supplements for ADHD.

Remember, when you are choosing ADHD supplements, you need to be using supplements that are all natural. Be wary of supplements that have added colors or preservatives, since many children, especially children with ADHD, have allergies to those types of additives. Food allergies might make symptoms and a condition even worse, so you want to be sure that you are finding supplements that do not have these types of things.

Helping your child with their ADHD symptoms will mean a world of difference for you and for your family. Therefore, mineral supplements for ADHD are something that you should explore carefully.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( previously known as ADD or ADHD) as a disease is rapidly gaining ground. The number of people suffering from this disease, especially children and youngsters is rising rapidly. Some medical praticitioners insist that the rise in cases is a direct result of better education and thus early diagnosis. Other medical practicitioners will have you believe that the rise in the number of ADHD diagnosed suffers is due to increasing levels of toxins and pollutants in our air and food.

With the medical profession arguing amongst itself as to the causes and cures of this illness what is the average parent to do. The first step is probably one of education i.e. parents must educate themselves as to the nature of this illness and the first place to start is the symptoms.

ADHD Checklist of possible symptoms:

The ADHD Checklist is mainly an instrument in determining the exact nature, degree and the impact of the disease on an individual. However please don?t be surprised if your initial reaction to this list is to think but this describes most children ? that was my reaction too. And this is a huge problem with ADHD and similar illnesses. There are no ?medical? tests ? well certainly not free available ones so the diagnosis of ADHD is subjective ? it is based on opinions ? that of the parents, the medical practitioner, the child?s teacher etc. It goes some way to explaining why a child badly affected by ADHD who has a saint for a mother and an angel for a teacher is less likely to be diagnosed than a child who may be less affected by their ?adhd? but has a stressed out mother and overworked teacher. (I think my child may have suffered as a result of having a stressed out working mother who was on antidepressants and struggling to cope!)

What does the ADHD Checklist Include?

The ADHD checklist for children includes the following points ? as most ADHD sufferers tend to be male ? I have used him for ease:

a) A child who is always restless and always raring to go.

b) He does not listen and pays no heed to his parents or to his teachers.

c) He lacks the ability to concentrate even for a short span of time.

d) He is extremely fidgety, restless and unable to sit still.

e) A child/ youngster suffering from ADHD takes risks easily and does not consider the consequences of his actions.

f) He can be very talkative and blurts out everything.

g) A person suffering from ADHD can be easily distracted and thus finds it difficult to complete any tasks assigned to him.

It is hopefully apparent now why so many children are misdiagnosed ? either as having the illness when they don?t or not having it when they do. What parent can honestly say that their own child wouldn?t fall into many if not all of the above categories at some stage in the parenting cycle?

The official ADHD checklist for adults includes the following points:

a) An adult can suffer from ADHD if he has suffered from hyperactivity and restlessness in his childhood.

b) Any Adult suffering from the symptoms described above in the children?s section.

c) An adult suffering from ADHD shows inconsistent performance, decreasing work productivity and incomplete projects.

d) Also such individuals get frustrated very easily and show signs of nervousness and hypertension.

e) Adult ADHD sufferers can find it extremely difficult to maintain close and intimate relationships.

f) They are constantly in search of activities that stimulate them.

g) They also suffer from bouts of depression and low energy levels.

h) They lack organizational skills and planning.

Whilst the above checklists may provide you with a list of the ADHD symptoms ? has this list solved any of your worries or concerns? I would suspect the answer to that question is no ? if you were worried previously then you are possibly even more concerned now. And if you weren?t too concerned prior to reading this list of ADHD symptoms, I would bet money on you being worried now.

For some definitive impartial advice and information from parents who have been exactly where you are at now please subscribe to our free website ? www.ourexceptionalkids.com

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ADHD or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not fully defined anywhere but it is indeed a legitimate psychological state of mind. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a psychological disorder that starts right from the childhood. It is psychological disease which generally changes how a child behaves, think, and feel. The ADHD children are generally very restless.
Nearly all children suffering from this disease are overactive and lacking concentration at times. The disease is not very rare in these days. A recent study ADHD says that ADHD symptoms have been found in between 3% and 5% of the school going children this disease is more common in boys. The ADHD is estimated to be 3 or 4 times more common in boys as compared to boys.
How the ADHD or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be diagnosed:
It is not easy to find whether your child is suffering from ADHD or not because the symptom in this disease are very common. To find out whether your child has ADHD or not you have to observe him closely.
The symptoms of ADHD is in small babies are different than that of older boys. It is very difficult to be diagnosed in the childhood. The infants suffering from this disease are extremely restless, crying, they also show a very poor sleep patterns. The ADHD affected babies are also difficult to feed, frequent irritability, head banging and often they rock their bed.
As it is stated earlier there are different ADHD symptoms in older children. The older children have poor concentration in their study have a week memory, impulsiveness they are in a hurry to do everything, generally lack self prestige Weak short term memory and they suffer from some abnormal sleep and appetite problems. There are also different degrees of severity.
What to do when your child is suffering:
If you think your child is suffering from ADHD or he is showing the symptoms of ADHD you should immediately contact a psychologist. Remember your child needs some care and attention from you. The ADHD disease can be fully cured.
What is the importance of diet for the children suffering from ADHD:
A diet prescribed by the experts is very necessary for a child to recover from ADHD. There are many kind of diets prescribed for the children suffering from the ADHD.
From some of the recent studies it is been found out that children suffering from ADHD may be susceptible to certain chemicals in foods. These elements or food items may increase this disorder in babies. So it is better to give the children only the prescribed diet by the expert.
What is the correct diet for the children suffering from ADHD:
You should give your child a high protein and low carbohydrate meals. Try to give him lots of fruits and vegetables and also some mineral supplements would be useful for him. You should not provide him with any dairy products especially cow’s milk and no yellow and junk food for him.
You have to cut his sugar intake as much as you can because sugar is very bad for the ADHD disease and also chocolate and other sweets. Please try not to give him any fried foods. In short you have to just give him the food which is good for health. If you follow this diet plan it will help your child to recover from ADHD.

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?Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is associated? with over weight and obesity.? This relationship has been established in the scientific literature yet not well understood.? We see from the studies below that children and adults with ADHD are more likely to be overweight when not medicated.? We also see that ADHD children? who are medicated are more likely to be underweight.? This is expected as the most common medication for ADHD is methylphenidate a drug knows to have side effects indicated decrease appetite and weight loss.? So much so that methylphenidate has potential and reputation for abuse.? Here are two recent studies regarding to the relationship between ADHD and weight.

Department of Community Health, Brown Medical School, Box G-S121, Providence, RI 02912, USA. molly_waring@brown.edu

OBJECTIVE: As the prevalence of childhood obesity increases, identifying groups of children who are at increased risk of overweight is important. The current study estimated the prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and medication use. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of 62 887 children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years from the 2003-2004 National Survey of Children’s Health, a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents in the United States. Attention-deficit disorder/attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was determined by response to the question “Has a doctor or health professional ever told you that your child has attention-deficit disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder, that is, ADD or ADHD?” Children and adolescents were classified as underweight, normal weight, at risk of overweight, or overweight according to BMI for age and gender. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and depression/anxiety, children and adolescents with attention-deficit disorder/attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder not currently using medication had approximately 1.5 times the odds of being overweight, and children and adolescents currently medicated for attention-deficit disorder/attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had approximately 1.6 times the odds of being underweight compared with children and adolescents without either diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides heightened awareness for pediatric providers about the relationship between attention-deficit disorder/attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, medication use, and weight status. Future work is needed to better understand the longitudinal and pharmacologic factors that influence the relationship between attention-deficit disorder/attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and weight status in children and adolescents.

1Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects ~2.9-4.7% of US adults. Studies have revealed high rates of ADHD (26-61%) in patients seeking weight loss treatment suggesting an association between ADHD and obesity. The objective of the present study was to test the association between ADHD and overweight and obesity in the US population. Cross-sectional data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys were used. Participants were 6,735 US residents (63.9% white; 51.6% female) aged 18-44 years. A retrospective assessment of childhood ADHD and a self-report assessment of adult ADHD were administered. Diagnosis was defined by three categories: never met diagnostic criteria, met full childhood criteria with no current symptoms, and met full childhood criteria with current symptoms. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 33.9 and 29.4%, respectively, among adults with ADHD, and 28.8 and 21.6%, respectively, among persons with no history of ADHD. Adult ADHD was associated with greater likelihood of overweight, (odds ratio (OR) = 1.58; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05, 2.38) and obesity (OR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.14, 2.64). Results were similar when adjusting for demographic characteristics and depression. Mediation analyses suggest that binge eating disorder (BED), but not depression, partially mediates the associations between ADHD and both overweight and obesity. Results suggest that adult ADHD is associated with overweight and obesity. Obesity (2008) doi:10.1038/oby.2008.587.

The question remains: Does having ADHD predispose you to being overweight or does being overweight predisposed you to ADHD?? Our model proposes that it is the thing associated with being overweight predisposes you to ADHD.? That is modern society?s lack of exercise and increase screen time (T.V., video games, internet).? If we look at the last 2 decades when Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder have increase drastically we find that during this time in western cultures, fast food, video games and computers also have increased.? Our model proposes that it is the lack of exercise (kids playing video games instead of being outside playing) which disturbs motor development as well as input from the? postural and antigravity muscles to the brain which is a factor in the under connectivity and functional disconnect syndrome associated with ADHD and ASD.?

At a recent lecture I attended regarding childhood neurobehavioral disorders a clever cartoon was put up on the screen to make a point.? The cartoon? showed an overweight boy drinking a coke and eating a bag of chips while sitting in a chair playing a video game.? This child?s mother tells the child that it?s time to take his medication.? The boy?s response ?not now Mom I?m playing football.?? Exercise has been shown to not only reduce weight and improve health but also improve cognitive function.?

This is not to say that enrolling the child in soccer is going to be the magic pill that solves everything.? It is simply a suggestion that in a condition with many associated possible causes this may be a contributing factor or at least an aggravator.? Let?s face it these kids are picky eaters and at times letting them play video games is the only thing that calms them down and helps mom and dad not pull their hair out.? But it seems at times as if they may be locked into things that can hurt them long term and all of us involved with these children need to be aware.

Dr. Mane offers one on one consultation as well as Group Seminars? for parents and children who suffer from Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders.? If you are interested in scheduling a consultation or to attend a seminar please call 813-935-4744.?

For more information about Dr. Nelson Mane, D.C. and his treatment approach for ASD go to www.manecenter.com/ADHD.htm.?

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While ADHD is a medical condition that might cause your child to have to deal with many different problems during their life, part of the symptoms that you see might be aided by supplements. ADHD supplements are minerals and vitamins that you can give to children who have ADHD - and most of the time, these vitamins and minerals help to calm or lessen the symptoms that a child is dealing with.

When you are looking at supplements for ADHD, something that is important to remember is that simply giving a child vitamin or mineral supplements is not going to cure his ADHD. However, what it might do is help the symptoms. This is because many children who have ADHD actually have a vitamin or mineral deficiency that causes they to have stronger than average symptoms. The behavioral symptoms of ADHD are going to cause problems for your child both at home and at school - and so providing them with ADHD supplements will help you to ease the burden of some of their symptoms.

Supplements for ADHD include both vitamins and minerals that seek to help your child with a nutritional deficiency. Many times, with regular nutritional supplements, it will take months to see any changes in behavior. However, with a mineral deficiency, correcting it with ADHD supplements can show a change in behavior within a week. This can be a dramatic improvement and can help you regulate your child’s behavior much sooner.

The most common mineral deficiency that leads to ADHD symptoms is magnesium, so when you are choosing a mineral supplement for ADHD, try to find one that has an excellent magnesium ingredient. Also, keep in mind that many children who have ADHD are actually deficient in more than one mineral, so you want to be sure to regulate your child’s diet and provide them with minerals to help ease their behavior. Along with magnesium, most children with ADHD are deficient in calcium, zinc, and iron. Therefore, a multi-mineral supplement is your best choice when you are looking to deal with ADHD with supplements for ADHD.

Remember, when you are choosing ADHD supplements, you need to be using supplements that are all natural. Be wary of supplements that have added colors or preservatives, since many children, especially children with ADHD, have allergies to those types of additives. Food allergies might make symptoms and a condition even worse, so you want to be sure that you are finding supplements that do not have these types of things.

Helping your child with their ADHD symptoms will mean a world of difference for you and for your family. Therefore, mineral supplements for ADHD are something that you should explore carefully.

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ADHD is often caused by irregular eating habits. It has been shown in a number of cases that the diet has a direct influence on attention deficiency hyper-activity disorder. It is responsible for the detection of the disease, and for its dissemination and in many cases a healthy diet can contribute to the incidence of ADHD in children. An ADHD Diet Plan is for all children and especially for those already diagnosed with the disease.

It is never easy to make a diet for a child. But if the child has ADHD, it would be him, a world of good to change to a specific ADHD diet plan. Under such a plan, you must first find out the extent of ADHD in childhood. If the child is a small form of the disease, you need not be hard, but also nutrition. But if the disease is more pronounced, a good diet is very important.

First, the current eating habits to your child. Reduce intake of foods, artificial colors and flavorings. Also prevent your child from eating something he or she may be allergic. And finally, reduce the intake of sugar to a minimum.

If this is in the implementation of the new ADHD nutrition plan. Make sure that part of the whole foods in the diet. Then cut out the radio-food and fast food. Make sure your child has many grains such as corn, barley and wheat. Chocolate and sweets intake must also go. Raw foods should be limited to only fresh fruit and vegetables.

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If you are heading to the doctor to find out whether your child has ADHD, bring this list with you and ask questions before making a final decision.

While doing the research for my books, Learning vs Testing, What’s Food Got To Do With It?, and Instant Learning For Amazing Grades, I discovered nearly 20 things that can mimic the symptoms of ADD or ADHD.

According to Frank Barnhill, M.D., and many other of the world’s top medical doctors, ADD, now officially referred to as ADHD, is a diagnosis of exclusion first.

Dr. Barnhill and I created this list so you can get a thorough and high quality diagnosis for your child. You may be surprised to discover that your child’s ADD symptoms are actually something else in disguise.

1. Thyroid Disease. An underactive thyroid can make a child lethargic or too sleepy to pay attention. An overactive thyroid can make a child appear hyperactive. Either one mimics many of the symptoms of ADD or ADHD. Dr. Barnhill says to ask your doctor to rule this out first.

2. Anemia. Low hemoglobin can cause fatigue, irritability, mood swings, and of course, the poor attention span that goes along with ADD ? ADHD symptoms.

3. Hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar in a child looks and acts just like low blood sugar in an adult. Sometimes the symptoms of fatigue, lethargy and poor concentration are even more pronounced. Unfortunately, this often goes undiagnosed in children, because they will bounce back fast and lead parents to believe they were just being lazy.

4. Diabetes mellitus. When your blood sugar is high, you will be on edge and others will perceive you as hyperactive. Sometimes ADHD can be cured by changing a diet, or adding blood sugar lowering medicines.

Check the amount of sugar your child eats and see if his or her behavior changes. Also, there is a type II epidemic in young people these days, so make sure your doctor checks your child thoroughly for any signs of it.

5.Seizure disorders. This is a new topic in behavioral science. Some children labeled ADHD actually suffer from mild seizures and it can make your child appear inattentive or spacey when they occur many times an hour. If your child becomes confused or scared, then periods of hyperactivity may follow.

6. Post- concussion syndrome. Mild cases of trauma to the brain that leave no physical evidence of having occurred, can lead to symptoms of ADHD. Brain cell pathways may have been damaged leading to inadequate higher brain cognitive and executive level thought processing abilities. PET Scans will give you this information.

7. Effects of other drugs. Prescription, over the counter, and legal-illegal drugs can cause symptoms that mimic ADHD.

For example, pseudoephedrine found in cold and cough medicines can cause irritability, difficulty sleeping, inability to focus and concentrate and the appearance of being hyper. It is well known that some children actually self-medicate with amphetamines or speed to slow themselves down. Stimulants used to treat ADHD, such as Ritalin, are a form of amphetamine.

8. Effects of certain foods. Everyone knows how some children get hyper when they eat a lot of sugar. But, have you ever wondered whether too much caffeine causing hyperactive states? Each and every child has a different metabolism.

So some tolerate large amounts of sugar and caffeine without becoming hyper, while others can consume little of these stimulants and start ‘bouncing off the wall’.

9. Depression. Mild forms of depression can cause irritability, attitude problems and poor concentration. Other symptoms may include sleepiness, insomnia, appetite changes, crying, and lack of energy and poor self-esteem. All of these can mistakenly lead to an incorrect ADHD diagnosis.

10. Manic depression. This disease is called the rollercoaster of life because one day the affected person will be on the highs of life and maybe the next day or two, will be on the lows. These people have wild mood swings and if not treated, will disrupt classrooms, home life and workplaces.

11. Anxiety, GAD. Anxious kids are almost always hyper in one way or another. It appears that Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is very common in young ADHD children and girls with ADHD without hyperactivity. If the anxiety is not treated with ADHD, then therapy is likely to fail.

12. Mild psychosis. Most parents are surprised to discover that children can hallucinate. Usually, these problems have a sudden onset after a very stressful event in the family, such as a death, divorce, job loss or feelings of impending doom.

There are cases where day terrors and night terrors occur very slowly and simply disrupt the sleep pattern making a child very moody. Teachers feel these children are not paying attention in class because they appear spacey.

13. Sleep apnea is a condition where a person stops breathing multiple times during the night. It requires special diagnosis and treatment since it can lead to the same problems as psychosis. It has been associated with night terrors as a child (or even an adult) may awaken abruptly with a feeling of choking, drowning or being suffocated.

14. Hormone problems in many diseases can cause ADHD like symptoms. Thyroid and insulin related diseases are not the only endocrine disorders that can cause symptoms that look or act like ADHD.

The adrenal gland sits on top of the kidneys and is responsible for everything from regulation of energy to how stable blood sugars remain after running the two-minute mile.

When these disorders are present, a child can have symptoms almost identical to ADHD, such as fatigue, restlessness, poor concentration, changes in weight, and mood swings. Ask your doctor to screen for these.

15. Lead poisoning. Lead damages bone marrow’s ability to make red blood cells, resulting in a terrible anemia. These children can be lethargic and have weird hallucinations. Some can have seizures and eventual kidney failure.

16. Inhalation poisoning. Inhalants such as permanent markers, airplane model glue, paint, fingernail polish and other solvents can cause wild mood swings, periods of intense hyperactivity, irritability and irrational combativeness and defiance.

Abusing inhalants may cause paranoia, seizures, and hallucinations. Using even just a little can create symptoms that can mimic many other conditions including ADD or ADHD.

17. Malnutrition including multiple vitamin deficiencies. No child can adequately focus and concentrate when hungry. With prolonged periods of forced fasting, kids become tired, irritable, and unable to process visual-auditory-tactile sensory input correctly. In addition, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, and even depression.

18. Eyesight, vision, hearing and speech and language problems. While these three items may seem obvious, they frequently go unchecked when diagnosing ADHD. Take your child to a developmental optometrist, one who specializes in vision therapy, a speech and language evaluation and full frequency hearing exam.

19. Visual-tactile-auditory integration problems. These are very specialized problems that affect a child or adults ability to interact with one or more aspects of his sensory environment.

20. Other learning disabilities. These include minimal brain damage from birth trauma and low oxygen levels at birth. IQ may actually be affected in these circumstances and special training is usually indicated.

Birth trauma can cause a variety of auditory, visual and sometimes tactile problems. These integration difficulties should be thoroughly assessed to provide a game plan for learning success specific to that child.

21. Pregnancy. Although you may only have a young child right now, teenage pregnancy is so prevalent, yet often never given a second thought when it comes to diagnosing ADHD. The hormonal imbalance alone can make a young woman appear sleepy, agitated and moody.

22. Children learn in many ways, but schools test in one. Check that learning and testing styles match or your child may have a difficult time showing what he or she knows on a written test.

Keep in mind that ADHD is a complex diagnosis to make. Get the best diagnosis possible prior to filling a prescription for a stimulant drug.

Take this list to your doctor and ask if there are any more factors to rule out before deciding that your child has ADD or ADHD. Your family doctor is still the best source of advice for you and you should consult him or her if you have any medical concerns.

No portion of this article is intended to provide medical advice. See your doctor or other health care practitioner for more information.

Copyright 1997-2006 Pat Wyman, M.A., and Frank Barnhill, M.D. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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