Did she say ADD, ADHD, or medication?!

With the kids going back to school there is a lot of questions flying around about kids and medication.  Teachers are going to notice which kids are more active than others.  If a teacher or doctor points out that your child may be more hyper or impulsive than other kids their age they may start hinting at ADD and ADHD.  This can be quickly followed up by a conversation about medication.  Before that ship sails, here are a few things to try.

1.  Check your child's sleep schedule and make sure it is consistent at night and morning.  Some families find adding a melatonin supplement can help tremendously with sleep and therefore the next day's behavior.  A sleep log can be a helpful tool as well as documentation.

2.  Eliminate sugar and caffeine.  I know this may sound simple, but both of these are laced into so many foods.  Be diligent about checking labels and see what a week off can do.

3.  More elaborate diet changes to identify a food allergy may be helpful.  Dr. Lidy Pelsser's study shows that "64% of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food."  Read her interview with NPR through the link below.

http://m.npr.org/story/134456594?url=/2011/03/12/134456594/study-diet-may-help-adhd-kids-more-than-drugs

Some common allergens that may be linked to ADHD and Autism are gluten, casein, and red food dye.

4.  Make sure that your child is receiving at least an hour of physical exercise each day.  School's schedules may not meet your child's physical activity needs so they may need some extra time outside once they get home.  This can also help with sleep.

5.  Chiropractic (See tomorrow's guest blogger!)

6.  Therapists and counselors (Like Me!) can help to develop schedules, behavior modification plans, implement strategies for parents and teachers, and many other individualized interventions to help children build the skills to manage hyperactivity and impulsivity without medication.

***Consult with a doctor before implementing any changes with your child's diet or health***

Does this work for every child?  No.  Please support your friends and family who have children that need medication to to learn, retain information, and carry on relationships.

Lastly, check out this post written by Leah Zerbe on negative talk towards children with ADHD symptoms.  She writes, "In a single day, a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may seem to receive as much negative feedback as a child without the disorder receives in an entire year."  

http://www.rodale.com/treating-adhd-without-medicine

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

Proverbs 16, 23