Who can you trust when trying to get the best advice about ADHD in children? I have asked that question and put it in the title of this article for a very specific reason. It is basically because I was shocked to read something on a very well known medical site this morning.
This stated that when seeking a doctor's advice in the case of a doubtful diagnosis, you could ask him to put your child on medication to see if it would help the child's hyperactivity. If it did, this would probably mean that your child has ADHD!
I could not believe that a medical site would recommend this sort of trial and error attitude. I know that ADHD diagnosis can be tricky sometimes and also complicated by the co-morbid disorders that exist but getting a proper diagnosis should be top priority. In any case prescribing meds, especially powerful mind altering drugs such as psychostimulants does not seem to me the way to go.
Talking about who we can trust as regards the ADHD disorder in children, there is also the problem of the child's teacher recommending Ritalin to kids who just happen to be hyperactive in class! This is going on all the time and again, I would never trust a teacher who was pushing meds like Ritalin or Adderall as that is not her job! But some schools are very demanding and are overstepping the mark in recommending psychostimulants in the absence of a proper diagnosis.
Let us say that you have received a proper diagnosis from a specialist in the ADHD field and you are wondering what is the next step. If your specialist is really somebody you can trust and knows what he is talking about, then he will be recommending a multi pronged approach to treatment.
He may recommend medication but this should be short term. The effects are troublesome for many kids and the long term risks have too many question marks hanging over them. He will certainly invite you to use behavior modification techniques which is basically effective parenting and not the casual approach that some doctors and teachers recommend. This is what will really help with impulsivity and hyperactivity so that over time behavior will improve.
Other lifestyle changes can also help. Is your home an ADHD friendly one? If it is there will be structures and routines in place which will greatly assist your child to get things done and not to forget things or get so easily distracted. This is key. Then there are other considerations such as ADHD diet which makes sure that your child is getting enough of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids, for example.
Finally there are alternatives to ADHD meds which are worth considering. I know for example that homeopathic remedies for ADHD in children have been used with enormous success. They will never be a powerful lobbying force, but does that matter?
The fact of the matter is that treating ADHD in children with a holistic approach can really work wonders for many kids and I think every parent should give these treatments a fair trial and then see what the results are and they can judge for themselves. Now, surely that is better than playing around with amphetamines on a trial and error basis.
This stated that when seeking a doctor's advice in the case of a doubtful diagnosis, you could ask him to put your child on medication to see if it would help the child's hyperactivity. If it did, this would probably mean that your child has ADHD!
I could not believe that a medical site would recommend this sort of trial and error attitude. I know that ADHD diagnosis can be tricky sometimes and also complicated by the co-morbid disorders that exist but getting a proper diagnosis should be top priority. In any case prescribing meds, especially powerful mind altering drugs such as psychostimulants does not seem to me the way to go.
Talking about who we can trust as regards the ADHD disorder in children, there is also the problem of the child's teacher recommending Ritalin to kids who just happen to be hyperactive in class! This is going on all the time and again, I would never trust a teacher who was pushing meds like Ritalin or Adderall as that is not her job! But some schools are very demanding and are overstepping the mark in recommending psychostimulants in the absence of a proper diagnosis.
Let us say that you have received a proper diagnosis from a specialist in the ADHD field and you are wondering what is the next step. If your specialist is really somebody you can trust and knows what he is talking about, then he will be recommending a multi pronged approach to treatment.
He may recommend medication but this should be short term. The effects are troublesome for many kids and the long term risks have too many question marks hanging over them. He will certainly invite you to use behavior modification techniques which is basically effective parenting and not the casual approach that some doctors and teachers recommend. This is what will really help with impulsivity and hyperactivity so that over time behavior will improve.
Other lifestyle changes can also help. Is your home an ADHD friendly one? If it is there will be structures and routines in place which will greatly assist your child to get things done and not to forget things or get so easily distracted. This is key. Then there are other considerations such as ADHD diet which makes sure that your child is getting enough of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids, for example.
Finally there are alternatives to ADHD meds which are worth considering. I know for example that homeopathic remedies for ADHD in children have been used with enormous success. They will never be a powerful lobbying force, but does that matter?
The fact of the matter is that treating ADHD in children with a holistic approach can really work wonders for many kids and I think every parent should give these treatments a fair trial and then see what the results are and they can judge for themselves. Now, surely that is better than playing around with amphetamines on a trial and error basis.
Why not give YOUR child a better chance in life? Discover the facts about a more natural and safer approach to treating ADHD in children. Experts now tell us that child behavior modification combined with a natural treatment for ADHD is by far the most effective ADHD treatment. Visit http://www.child-behavior-home.com to find out more about ADHD child behavior problems. Matthew V.Gant has written extensively on ADHD and Mental Health for many years.
By Matthew V. Gant
No comments:
Post a Comment