Medication, Diet, Exercise, Postive Discipline. Find out what works to treat children with ADHD.
ADHD Medication
You probably already know the list: Ritalin, Focalin, Strattera, Concerta, Adderall, Daytrana. There are certainly plenty of medications targeted toward treating attention deficit disorder (abbreviated ADHD, ADD or AD/HD depending on which camp you’re in.)
Non-medical ADHD treatments
On the other side of the fence from ADHD medication, sits alternative treatments which promise parents the many challenging ADHD symptoms will reduce or disappear with the right change in diet, herbal supplement or homeopathic cure.
Multi-modal ADHD Treatment
There now is a body of research, primarily conducted by the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) that shows that “multimodal treatment for ADHD” that combines medication and therapy is the best hope for managing the symptoms of children with ADHD.
What does this mean for ADHD kids?
Work with a physician to determine which ADHD medication is right for your child. Get regular exercise.Studies show that regular exercise reduces symptoms of ADHD. It’s no wonder Michael Phelps has been so successful in managing his ADHD without medication – he’s in the pool all day! (See Treating ADHD with Exercise for more links on this topic.)
Get outside in nature. You’ve probably seen the recent news that being in nature reduces the symptoms of ADHD. But this is not new news. WebMD posted an article on it back in 2004: Nature Helps Fight ADHD. So get your ADHD kids outside as often as possible!
Implement behavior modification programs.
Russell Barkley has been a leader in publishing books on the subject. There are also on-line resources such as ADHD Parenting Tips which sell parenting program based on positive rewards to help change children’s behaviors.
Get regular sleep. Falling asleep and having a regular sleep routine is a huge issue for many children with ADHD. Visit this Type-A Mom article for more on this topic.
Older ADHD kids can sign up for ADHD coaching.
The Edge Foundation provides ADHD coaches trained in the special issues that high school and college students with ADHD face. It helps them stay on track with their academic and personal goals at a critical time in life.
Support. Moms of ADHD kids know it can be pretty lonely sometimes. Consider joining one of CHADD’s support groups, or visit one of the many on-line support forums over at Café Mom. And don’t forget to take care of yourself with exercise, sleep and good nutrition, too!
Successful ADHD adults know that it takes discipline to keep on target with tactics that lessen the symptoms of ADHD. Yet it’s also clear that ADHD is a strong, creative and positive force in many people’s lives. After all, there are lots of successful people with ADHD – Ty Pennington, Dav Pilkey (of Captain Underpants fame), and Michael Phelps are just a few.
ADHD kids need lots of love and support. But with persistence and a good treatment plan, they can dream for, and reach, the stars!
Good information shared here and I was not aware of the importance on exercise. No wonder Ty Pennington is running around all the time. I saw Howie Mandel a few weeks ago cohosting for Regis and he mentioned having ADHD. I knew of his OCD. He mentioned a website - www.adultadhdisreal.com where adults can go and take a quick test to see if they have ADHD.
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