Finding an Effective Treatment for Children with Add

Finding an Effective Treatment for Children with ADD

Administering stimulant medication, combined with counseling and therapy has proven to be a more popular and effective method for treating ADHD in children. However, some researchers and opponents to medication treatment focus on more non-traditional treatments including; natural remedies and vitamins; change in diet; brain retraining programs and or behavior counseling alone. Although alternative treatments have helped in relieving some symptoms that children with ADD face, research suggests that a multimodal treatment including medication and therapy is a practical and most effective approach to treating children with ADD.

Understanding the nature of ADD and recognizing it as a real disorder is essential before effective treatment can be considered. Attention Deficit Disorder is a neurological disorder that affects chemical transmission in the brain; thus, significantly impacting the effectiveness and working ability of cognitive functioning. Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder include, but are not limited to impulsivity, inattentiveness, hyperactivity, problems with organization, failure to complete assigned tasks and short term memory problems.

Due to the nature of typical child behavior diagnosing ADHD in children becomes increasingly difficult. However, the symptoms examined in most

children with ADD including hyperactive, inattentiveness, and/or behavioral problems appear to be more persistent and severe than in most other children without ADD. Unidentified learning and attention problems can greatly compromise a child's ability to match up to his/ her academic potential. Often

Children who have trouble focusing will likely gain less exposure to new material and will fall behind as a result. Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D., author of Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults claims, "Children with ADHD have functional impairment across multiple settings including home, school, and peer relationships. ADHD has also been shown to have long-term adverse effects on academic performance, vocational success, and social emotional development (Brown)."

The most popular and commonly used treatment for children with ADD is stimulant medication. For over 50 years medication has been used to effectively treat ADD symptoms in children. Common stimulant medication prescribed to children with ADD include, but are not limited to; Ritalin (methylphenidate), Adderal (amphetamine), and Cylert (Pemoline). There are side effects associated with some stimulant medications including dry mouth, irritability, restlessness, and deceased appetite; however, most of these side effects can be minimized and/or less noticeable when proper dosages are administered or when the child adjusts to medication use. According to members of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, studies and reports have concluded that treatment with stimulants in children with ADD is safe and can have a positive impact in social development(ADDA). Brown argues, "The risks of using appropriate medications to treat ADD are minimal, whereas the risks of not using medication to treat ADD are significant (Brown, 246)."

It's important to understand that medication does not cure ADD but can significantly help lessen the severity of its symptoms. ADD can be described as having vision impairment. People that have trouble seeing use eyeglasses to correct their vision, but as soon as they take the glasses off they go back to where they started with vision problems. Medication for people with ADD will have a similar effect on correcting brain chemistry. When the ADD person takes medication it will improve his/her ability to relieve the severity of ADD symptoms; they are able to focus, decrease impulsivity, and become less distracted. Once the ADD medication wears off the person with ADD will suffer from the same symptoms he/she experienced before the medication was administered.

In a book titled, Why Johnny Can't Concentrate by Robert A. Moss, M.D. with Helen Huff Dunlap describes a series of controversial treatments for children with ADD. One example the book discusses includes; a "non medication" approach in treating Attention Deficit Disorder in "The Feingold diet", developed by Dr. Feingold. The Feingold diet claims that the genetic predisposition to attention related problems (ADD) can be reversed by developing a diet free of

food additives, food colorings, and foods containing salicylates (Moss, 96). Contrary to Feingold's belief, Moss argues that the Feingold diet is not a miracle cure for all people with Attention Deficit Disorder. Moss states, "There is no

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question that a few children with Attention Deficit Disorder benefit from the Feingold diet. [However], "following the extreme restrictions outlined [in the Feingold diet] in the belief that it will cure a child's inattention problems is misleading for most, and disappointing to the vast majority of people who attempt it"(Moss, 97).

Robert Doman and Carl Delacato believe that an alternative to a medication is a program of neuropsychological retraining of the brain. Both Doman and Delacato believe that by exposing a child to mentally stimulating activities and projects a child can improve his/her ability to concentrate and focus (Moss, 100). An example of this approach can be seen in the Sharper Brain CD-Rom program, developed by a web based company called Sharper Programs. Sharper Brain claims that its unique training exercises including puzzles, problem solving, and visual/audio sections can alter cognitive functioning in the brain and can alleviate ADD symptoms for ever; therefore, Sharper Programs argues that Sharper Brain is an efficient and cost effective alternative to medical and behavioral therapy treatment (Sharper Programs). The idea of a one time, quick fix solution to balance brain chemistry through CD software is interesting; however, there is little scientific evidence to support these claims and the effectiveness of such a program.

Behavior therapy is another option for treating children with ADD. A long time ago it was believed that ADD was a behavioral disorder, which was characterized by symptoms of hyperactivity and disruptive behavior in children.

Behavior problems are prevalent