| O.K. So now you have taken the step of having | | | | the school year time becomes a larger factor. |
| your struggling child or teen assessed by a | | | | We don't want the school year to be wasted or |
| professional, and he has been diagnosed with | | | | lost, so we need to try the most powerful |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The | | | | interventions at that time. |
| psychologist, or therapist, or physician now | | | | |
| wants to begin a treatment program. But what | | | | |
| should you know before you "sign off" on any | | | | |
| particular treatment approach? | | | | But here is our thinking. First we want to do |
| | | | what we can to "salvage" the school year if |
| | | | we only have a few weeks left. Since |
| | | | medications can begin to give benefits very |
| Here are some suggestions for you to | | | | quickly often the child will pass classes |
| consider. The following are merely our | | | | that he might have failed otherwise. |
| suggestions, but are based on having worked | | | | Additionally, by having a "real world" trial |
| with over 1,000 children and teens with | | | | of medication prior to the summer break, we |
| attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Use | | | | can use the benefits received from the |
| your best judgment. Talk with your doctor. We | | | | medication as a "bench mark" with which to |
| don't want to be accused of practicing | | | | measure the effectiveness of the |
| medicine across the Internet. The suggestions | | | | "alternative" treatments that might be tried |
| that follow will vary depending on your child | | | | over the summer months. |
| or teen's diagnosis (such as Attention | | | | |
| Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Inattentive | | | | |
| Type vs. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity | | | | |
| Disorder: Impulsive-Hyperactive Type, and | | | | Also, please remember when discussing these |
| with or without temper problems, with or | | | | suggestions with your physician or your |
| without some depression or anxiety, and so | | | | psychologist, that old saying, "If the only |
| on) and also on the time of the year in which | | | | tool that you own is a hammer, then all the |
| you are beginning treatment. To learn more | | | | world looks like a nail." Professionals who |
| about the different types of ADHD and | | | | are unfamiliar with treatment options such as |
| specific treatment strategies for each type. | | | | the "Attend" amino acids, or the EEG |
| | | | Biofeedback training, will tend to discount |
| | | | them immediately out of their ignorance. I |
| | | | did this myself for years, and this is where |
| During the summer vacation and early in the | | | | you must decide for yourself how best to help |
| school year we like to try the "alternative" | | | | your child or teen with Attention Deficit |
| interventions, such as the homeopathic | | | | Disorder. |
| nutraceutical medicines Attend, its "cousin" | | | | |
| nutraceutical Extress, our recommended eating | | | | |
| program, and essential fatty acid | | | | |
| suppliments. EEG Biofeedback training is also | | | | You can learn more about the six types of |
| a good "alternative" treatment for Attention | | | | ADHD, specific treatment strategies for each |
| Deficit Disorder. If these strategies work, | | | | type, alternative treatments for ADHD, and |
| and they will about 70% of the time, then we | | | | much more at the ADHD Information |
| can keep the patient off of medication and | | | | Library.Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family |
| see them succeed. | | | | therapist who has been working with ADHD |
| | | | children and their families since 1986. He is |
| | | | the clinical director of the ADHD Information |
| | | | Library's family of seven web sites, |
| If the diagnosis is made later in the school | | | | including helping over 350,000 parents and |
| year we tend to recommend trials of | | | | teachers learn more about ADHD each year. |
| medication right away for just about everyone | | | | Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory |
| with Attention Deficit Disorder, knowing that | | | | Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is |
| we have the summer coming up to try | | | | President of the Board of Directors for KAXL |
| alternatives that might be able to cut the | | | | 88.3 FM in central California, and is |
| dose of medication in half, or eliminate the | | | | President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated. |
| need for medication altogether. But later in | | | | |