Entries Tagged as 'ADD/ADHD'

Is ADHD A Real Disease?

Joel Turtel

The vast majority of Ritalin and Adderall is given to school
children in America to treat an alleged disease called ADHD.
Children who suffer from ADHD are said to be inattentive,
impulsive, and hyperactive. They often get bored easily in
class, squirm in their seats, are always on the go, or don’t
get along with other students or the teacher.

In other words, many children diagnosed with ADHD may simply be
bright, normal kids, full of energy and bored out of their minds
sitting in public-school classrooms.

In his testimony to the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy
Committee, Bruce Wiseman, National President of the Citizens
Commission on Human Rights, stated that “thousands of children
put on psychiatric drugs are simply ‘smart.’” He quoted the
late Sydney Walker, a psychiatrist and neurologist, as saying,

“They’re hyper not because their brains don’t work right, but
because they spend most of the day waiting for slower students
to catch up with them. These students are bored to tears, and
people who are bored fidget, wiggle, scratch, stretch, and
(especially if they are boys) start looking for ways to get
into trouble.”

Boredom is not the only reason children can exhibit symptoms of
ADHD. Perfectly normal children who are over-active (have a lot
of energy), rebellious, impulsive, day-dreamers, sensitive,
undisciplined, bored easily (because they are bright), slow in
learning, immature, troubled (for any number of reasons),
learning disabled (dyslexia, for example), can also be
inattentive, impulsive, or hyperactive.

Also, many factors outside the classroom can stress or
emotionally affect children. Some of these factors are: not
getting love, closeness, or attention from their parents; if a
parent, friend, or sibling is sick or dies; if the parents are
divorcing and there is anger, shouting, or conflict at home;
domestic violence at home; sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
by parents or siblings; inattention and neglect at home;
personality clashes with parents or siblings; envy or cruelty
directed at a child by classmates or by siblings at home, and
many other factors.

Also, many other medical conditions can cause children to mimic
some or all of ADHD’s symptoms. Some of these conditions are:
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), allergies, learning
disabilities, hyper or hypothyroidism, hearing and vision
problems, mild to high lead levels, spinal problems, toxin
exposures, carbon monoxide poisoning, metabolic disorders,
genetic defects, sleeping disorders, post-traumatic subclinical
seizure disorder, high mercury levels, iron deficiency,
B-vitamin deficiencies (from poor diet), Tourette’s syndrome,
Sensory Integration Dysfunction, early-onset diabetes, heart
disease, cardiac conditions, early-onset bipolar disorder,
worms, viral and bacterial infections, malnutrition or improper
diet, head injuries, lack of exercise, and many others.

Because these medical conditions can cause some or all of
ADHD’s symptoms, it becomes next to impossible for any teacher,
principal, or family doctor to claim with any certainty that a
child has ADHD. To be certain, a doctor would have to test the
child for all these other possible medical conditions. Since
parents or doctors rarely do this, every diagnosis of ADHD is
suspect, to say the least.

Any of these medical conditions, normal personality variations,
emotional problems, or outside-the-classroom stress-factors can
disturb a child’s attention, natural enthusiasm, or desire to
learn in class, and make the child exhibit symptoms of ADHD.
Yet, as psychiatrist Peter R. Breggin, author of “Talking Back
To Ritalin,” and director of the International Center for the
Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, notes, “These are the types
of [normal] children who get diagnosed as suffering ADHD and who
get subdued with stimulants and other medications.”

Many reputable authorities, such as Dr. Breggin, deny that
ADHD, the disorder for which Ritalin is most commonly
prescribed, even exists. Researchers have found no valid
physical evidence of the disease or laboratory medical tests to
prove it exists.

Parents, do not fall for the ADHD propaganda that public school
authorities are now attempting to force on you and your
children. While some children can have ADHD-type “symptoms” for
various reasons, ADHD itself turns out to be a bogus or unproven
disease. Many public schools now use this bogus disease as a
convenient excuse to pressure parents to give their normal but
bored or high-energy children mind-altering drugs. I also urge
you to read Dr. Breggin’s book, “Talking Back To Ritalin.”

Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel.

About The Author: Joel Turtel is the author of “Public Schools,
Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our
Children.” Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com

 

Tags: ADD/ADHD

Making the Grade With Brain-Healthy Foods

Parents can help their child make the grade by coupling brain healthy supplements, a good multi-vitamin and brain-smart foods. Properly nourishing the brain will ultimately set the child up for success in the classroom by improving focus and concentration, managing behavioral problems and keeping them healthy.

The daily diet starting with a solid breakfast is highly important to the school success equation. A Harvard University study and a Massachusetts General Hospital study both showed that children who regularly ate breakfast perform better on standardized test scores, have better behavior, and are less hyperactive than children who skip breakfast.

Sugary breakfast cereals or white-flour pancakes with syrup will leave your child hungry and tired half way through the morning. A solid protein-based breakfast is always a better alternative to highly refined carbohydrates. Eggs, whole grain toast and a piece of fruit is one example of a healthy start to the day that will keep your child satisfied until lunch time. The protein in the egg and lower-starch whole grain bread and fruit will support the physical needs while also supporting brain function.

Now on to lunch… The typical school lunch of pizza, french fries and canned fruits and vegetables are poor quality food choices. However, the parent-packed “cold lunches” can also fail the grade. According to one study, only 25 percent of parent-packed cold lunches meet minimum dietary standards. Additionally, most parent-packed lunches are filled with saturated fats, sugar and salt. Here are a number of healthy lunch tips to keep your child’s mind sharp and body fueled throughout the school day.

- Use whole wheat bread or multi-grain bread instead of white bread.
- Bypass processed lunch meats. Instead, use meat from the pervious night’s dinner. For instance, chop up leftover chicken to make a chicken salad sandwich.
- Add diced fruits or vegetables with a small container of healthy dipping sauces like low-fat yogurt, sour cream or hummus.
- Yogurt with active live bacterial cultures (probiotics) provides a good source of protein and calcium.
- Instead of snack cakes or other sugary desserts, pack canned fruit packed in water instead of sugar or dried fruit.
- Forget the fruit drinks, fruit punch and soft drinks and pack water and milk instead.

Pick from the following mix and match food list for a healthy lunch. Ideally you will choose one fruit, one vegetable, one snack, a sandwich or non-sandwich food and a beverage.

Vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, carrot sticks, celery sticks, green salad.
Fruits: Apples, bananas, blueberries, cherries, grapes, nectarines, orange sections, peaches, pears, pineapple, strawberries.

Dips for fruits, vegetables, sandwiches and crackers: Almond or apple butter, apple butter, mashed banana, low-fat cream cheese or brie cheese, honey, hummus, fruit jam, peanut butter.

Snacks: Nuts, dried cranberries, cheese slices or sticks, cottage cheese with fruit, hard-boiled egg, dried fruit, granola, popcorn, pretzels, trail mix, wheat crackers, vanilla yogurt with fruit.

Beverages: Bottled water, skim or 1% milk. If you do choose to pack a juice box on occasion, make sure the juice is 100 percent fruit juice.

Sandwich Fillings: Chicken, chicken salad, egg salad, organic peanut butter and all-fruit jelly, roast beef, chunk light tuna fish, tuna salad, turkey, turkey salad.

Sandwich Add-ons: Sliced apples, shredded carrots, cheese, sliced cucumber, lettuce, spinach leaves, sprouts.

You have healthy breakfast and lunch ideas but let’s face it, kids can be picky. If you have a finicky eater, supplements to provide the nutrients not received in the daily diet are an absolute must. There are a number of quality Attention Deficit supplements available that will support the brain while also reducing the symptoms of ADD and ADHD. When looking for a quality ADD supplement, look for one that provides a full complex of amino acids and fatty acids.

Numerous studies show that ADHD children have lower levels of essential fatty acids. Studies also show that lower levels of essential fatty acids can result in problems with learning, behavior, temper, sleep, and immune function.

Amino acids quite literally feed the brain. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, promote the production of various neurotransmitters and enzymes needed for communication between brain cells and a smooth transition from thought to disciplined action.

About the Author

Freelance journalist Jeannine Virtue moderates the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center, a web site dedicated to natural alternatives for ADHD, depression and stress. Go to http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/adhd_diet.htm for more information about the role of diet in easing Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms and for brain-boosting supplements for Attention Deficit Disorder.

 

Tags: Children's Health · ADD/ADHD · Brain Health

ADHD and School Success - Yes, it is Possible!

A day in school requires sustained attention, sitting quietly and refined social skills - all of which ADHD children tend to have great difficult mastering. With a teamwork approach to education, solid communication and a few tried and try tips, the education process does not need to be an exercise in frustration for the student, parent or teacher.

To help ease the strains of ADHD and the school setting, try these back-to-school tips to encourage a successful school year.

Communicate Early and Often with the Teacher: Teachers need to know early of any issues that might create an education obstacle and ADHD most certainly falls into that category. Ideally, parents should meet with the child’s teacher early in the school year to develop an early line of communication, head off potential problems and allow a proactive approach with the child’s education. In addition to communicating information to the teacher, seasoned teachers can often provide information that will help parents.

The time-constricted parent/teacher conferences, typically held after the first grading period, may not provide enough time to discuss the particular strengths and weaknesses of child. Additionally, your child might already be marked as a troublemaker or a slacker by that time. Undoing that label may not be as easy after one fourth of the school year already gone.

Understand Today’s Classroom: In any given classroom, teachers likely have a couple ADHD students, a few more with unique emotional obstacles or educational special needs and then about 20 other “average” students. As parents, we know the extra dose of patience and understanding needed in working with the ADHD child. We also know (all too well, I am afraid), that our patience can be pushed to the absolute limit. Teachers face the same issues, and then some.

Patience is a Two-Way Street: Just as parents ask for patience and understanding with their ADHD child, teachers should also receive patience and understanding. A relationship built on the single goal of teaching the ADHD child benefits the child more than teachers and parents finger-pointing at each other over the educational process.

Be Goal-Oriented: If you do have a conflict with the teacher, try to approach the problem in a positive light. The teacher might tell you that your child will not stay in his seat, pokes at other students or is heading straight for a detention. Instead of focusing on the immediate problem at hand, focus on action plans to modify the behavior.

Homework Tips for Parents: Try these homework tips to ease the strain at home.
- Establish a Set Homework Routine: Because the ADHD child functions best in a consistent environment, homework should be done in the same place, at the same time and for a set amount of time every day.
- Clear the Clutter at Home: The child’s work area should be free of distractions, such as televisions, video games, music and other people.
- Mandatory Homework Time: Establishing a set amount of time to work on homework provides consistency while discouraging the child from rushing through homework. In general, elementary school children should spend about 30 minutes each night on homework. Middle school and high school students should spend about one hour on homework. If the child does not have homework that evening or they finish before the allotted time, the child can read until their mandatory homework time is over.
- “Chunk” Tasks and Schedule Breaks: Long-range tasks are often difficult for the ADHD child. “Chunking” homework helps break the homework into smaller, more manageable pieces. A 20-problem math assignment, for instance, can be broken into four chunks of five problems each, with a small break given between chunks.
- Rewards/Consequences: The ADHD child needs all the rewards they can get, along with firm and consistent consequences. Modest rewards like a treat, special priveledge, earning Gameboy play time or the right to choose a favorite dinner can motivate the child to work toward the goal of completing his homework. Remember to offer intangible rewards like smiles and praise when your child puts the effort into completing his homework. A “way to go” goes a long way in positive reinforcement for Attention Deficit Disorder children. Effective consequences for not completing homework are losing phone, computer, stereo and television privileges for the evening.
- Remain Calm: Once you start yelling, the child has won the homeowrk power struggle. Remain calm and firm yet consistent with consequences. It may take a couple “consequence” days before the child to realize completing homework is better than not doing homework.
- Focus on Effort Instead of Grades: Don’t get hung up on the traditional grading scale. Your ADHD child may not be able to receive “A”s on every homework and school assignment. Do make sure to give your ADHD child an “A” for effort. The goal is to develop a solid homework habit. With a homework habit established, better grades will follow.
- Keep Track of Assignments: Using an assignment book helps parents keep track of the child’s daily and weekly homework. If the teacher does not use an assignment book, try to develop a system that keeps you informed of your child’s homework assignments.

Classroom Tips for Teachers: These tips, though specifically targeted for teaching children with Attention Deficit Disorder, can help all students in school.
- Reduce the Classroom Clutter: Keep classroom ornamentation to a minimum, clear your desk of piles and reduce anything that will take the student’s attention away from the work at hand.
- Reduce Worksheet Clutter: Keep classroom and homework page formats simple. Reducing the clutter on worksheets will work wonders.
- Choose seating arrangements wisely: Back row or middle of the room seating gives ADHD children too many distractions. You should also try to seat ADHDchildren far away from students (friends and enemies alike) that can add to distractions and closer to well-focused students.
- Highlight Succes:Children ADHD are no strangers to scoldings and trouble. Continuing the scoldings and reprimands rarely brings positive results. Instead, highlight the student’s successes. Give the student a smile. Make an effort to show you find value in them. If you put the extra effort into the ADHD child, they will try to return the favor.
- Choose Your Battles: Try not to confront the ADHD child for every little classroom infraction. Separating out the big things from the little will save your voice and patience while saving the ADHD child from constant reprimand.
- Understand the need for movement: If your ADHD student seems exceptionally fidgety, select him to run an errand. Allow this student an extra bathroom break. Suggest that he get up and take a drink of water. Anything that will allow the ADHD student a moment to get the wiggles out and refocus will benefit not only him, but you and the classroom as a whole. Enjoy the peace and quiet while he is away.

About the Author

Freelance journalist Jeannine Virtue moderates the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center at http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com. To receive a Free ADHD Help eBook, go to http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/newsletters/welcome.htm

 

Tags: ADD/ADHD

Autism and ADHD Linked to Vaccines

In a study review conducted by David A. Geier, B.A. President, MedCon, Inc., and Mark R. Geier, M.D., Ph.D. President, The Genetic Centers of America, the authors present a clear correlation between Thimerosal (a mercury based preservative used in vaccines) and spectral autism and possibly ADHD.

Thimerosal is an organic mercury compound that is metabolized to ethylmercury and thiosalicylate and has been present since the 1930s as a preservative in some vaccines and pharmaceutical products to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination.

One cited study showed that there are distinct similarities between autism and mercury exposure in their effects upon biochemistry, the immune system, the central nervous system structure, neuro-chemistry and neurophysiology

The National Toxicology Program (NTP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Statement on Thimerosal states that symptoms of Thimerosal exposure include mental retardation in children, loss of coordination in speech, writing, gait, stupor, irritability, and bad temper progressing to mania.

The FDA in 1999, under the recommended childhood immunization schedule, determined infants might be exposed to cumulative doses of ethylmercury that exceed some federal safety guidelines established for exposure to methylmercury, another form of organic mercury. Additionally it was noted that routine administration of childhood vaccines expose children to more than 100 times the Federal Safety Guidelines for orally ingested methylmercury.

In another study, mice were injected with ethylmercuri-S-cysteine (EMC) and found that the extent and distribution of cell damage was highly predictable, and selective necrosis of the small granular neurons was a constant finding. Thimerosal crosses the blood-brain and placental barriers and results in appreciable mercury content in brain tissue.

In another report the authors concluded that the elimination of methyl- and ethylmercury is very slow, especially in man and primates, and consequently there is a considerable risk of mercury accumulation.

The authors also found that the glutathione system is involved in the metabolism of Thimerosal or its decomposition products. And that certain individuals are genetically more sensitive to Thimerosal due to genetic factors in their glutathione system.

Brain scans of children with autistic spectrum disorders show damage in areas similar to areas damaged by mercury. These areas tend to be areas that have minimal glutathione levels. In addition, these areas typically have higher testosterone concentrations. Testosterone has been shown to increase Thimerosal neuronal toxicity whereas estrogen has been shown to reduce Thimerosal neuronal toxicity.

According to John Hopkins University the increased incidence of ADHD could represent an alternative manifestation of vaccine-associated neuro-developmental toxicity as ADHD.

In a closed meeting where the findings of the Vaccine Safety Datalink analysis were discussed a participant, Dr. Johnston, stated: “This association leads me to favor a recommendation that infants up to two years old not be immunized with Thimerosal containing vaccines if suitable alternative preparations are available.” “Forgive this personal comment, but I got called out at eight o’clock on an emergency call and my daughter-in-law delivered a son by C-Section. Our first male in the line of the next generation, and I do not want that grandson to get a Thimerosal containing vaccine until we know better what is going on.”

Recent other studies report no correlation between vaccines containing mercury and autism. At least one of these studies was lead by Thomas Verstraeten, who failed to disclose to “Pediatrics” as per the journal’s requirements that he is employed by GlaxoSmithKline a vaccine manufacturer that produced Thimerosal containing vaccines.

In conclusion parents taking their child for immunization should insist on vaccines that do not contain mercury preservatives, such as Thimerosal. In addition chelation and other natural detoxification programs are known to remove heavy metals from the body. Once heavy metals are removed from a child’s body it may be possible for them to recover from the affects of the poisoning. For more information on heavy metal poisoning and detoxification visit the author’s website at Whole Earth Health.

Copyright Scott D Saunders, Whole Earth Health LLC

Author Info:

Scott Saunders is a wellness consultant helping people lead better quality lives through nutrition and exercise. Scott can be reached at http://www.wholeearthhealth.com.

 

Tags: Miscellaneous · ADD/ADHD · Autism · Vaccinations