More Home Based & Drug Free Program Suggestions for ADHD/ADD
Links for other needs/diagnosis

Parents of the same child may react differently to an ADD/ADHD Diagnosis
Learning that a child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may evoke different responses in different parents. You may be relieved to learn the real cause for your child's difficulties in school and with social relationships; you may be confused about what ADHD is and what it means for your child; or you may be distressed to learn that your child has a medical condition. Regardless of your personal reaction, you probably have a lot of questions. This is a sample of information that can be found on this site. For a deeper understanding of ADD/ADHD- Start with the article understanding ADD and go across the top row of informational pages.

	One of the first things you need to know is that you are not alone—many other parents are going through the same thing. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder in North America.
	ADHD is also the most studied childhood psychiatric disorder and has been recognized for over 40 years. It persists into adulthood in about 70% of all diagnosed cases.
	There are a variety of treatments such as behavioral therapy, educational interventions, neurofeedback, counseling and/or medication available to help manage this condition.
	With appropriate treatment, many children with ADHD overcome the challenges presented by the disorder.

Living With ADD/ADHD

Imagine living in a fast-moving kaleidoscope, where sounds, images, and thoughts are constantly shifting. Feeling easily bored, yet helpless to keep your mind on tasks you need to complete. Distracted by unimportant sights and sounds, your mind drives you from one thought or activity to the next. For many people, this is what it's like to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. They may be unable to sit still, plan ahead, finish tasks, or be fully aware of what's going on around them. To their family, classmates or coworkers, they seem to exist in a whirlwind of disorganized or frenzied activity. As a result, the person's relationships with others consume energy, and diminish self-esteem. In addition, the symptoms disrupt their daily life in school and/or the workplace.

For more information on the impact of ADD/ADHD on the life and development of a person with ADD/ADHD-See the link for the article Life and Development with ADD. You may also find an article on the progression of ADD/ADHD into Adulthood

Home page Link

ADHD symptoms commonly include aggressive behavior, constant activity, easy distractibility, impulsiveness and/or the inability to concentrate. These ADHD symptoms may include fidgeting or constant movement, excessive talking and difficulty participating in "quiet" activities like reading.

Common ADHD symptoms:

• often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.

• often runs, climbs or leaves seat in settings where remaining seated is expected.

• often runs about excessively in situations in where it is inappropriate.

• often has difficulty playing quietly in leisure activities.

• is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor.”

• often talks excessively. often blurts out answers before hearing the entire question.

• often has difficulty awaiting turn or for a turn.

• often interrupts or intrudes on others at school or work and at home.

• often feels and acts restless.

Fifty conditions mimic ADHD. (See LINK for more information). Two of the most common disorders that are misdiagnosed as ADHD are Sensory Processing Disorder (Also called Sensory Integration Disorder) and Auditory Processing Deficit. Hyperactivity  and inattention can be caused by either condition. If you or your child experience hyperactivity, I would encourage you to use the links from our home page to learn more about them. For treatment options with Incredible Horizons see the Sensory and/or Auditory Builders on the left side of the home page.

Processing disorders are often found at the root of ADD Inattentive (without hyperactivity). Processing disorders are not remedied with medication. Our cognitive training programs have a consistent track record of success in a variety of therapeutic, school and home settings since 1985. Please click on the cognitive training research link on the home page for research regarding their success. These programs will definitely be the wave of the future, considering where the classification of ADD is heading. Feel free to explore  the future of ADD and Processing in the following link. ADD and Processing Disorders  

 ADD (Inattentive Type) symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder:

_ often fails to give close attention to details.

_ often makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities.

_ often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities.

_ often becomes easily distracted by irrelevant sights, sounds and extraneous stimuli.

_ often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.

_often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace.

_ often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.

_ often avoids tasks, such as schoolwork or homework, that require sustained mental effort.

_ often loses things necessary for tasks or activities, like school assignments, pencils, books, or tools.

_ often is forgetful in daily activities.

_ rarely follows instructions carefully and completely.

People with ADD symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder who are inattentive display difficulty keeping their mind on any one thing. They may get bored easily with a task and bounce to the next task, and the next task after that. Organizing and completing a task proves troublesome, though they may give undivided and effortless attention to activities and topics they enjoy. People with ADD symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder often find that focusing deliberate, conscious attention to learning something new is extremely difficult.

As a result, homework may be agonizing for people with the symptoms of ADD. They might forget to write down assignments or bring home the right books to complete the assignments. When doing homework, people with the symptoms of ADD typically find their minds drifting every few minutes.

We offer links to online check lists/tests to see if you need to be evaluated for ADD/ADHD. Please keep in mind that their purpose is to clarify whether or not you need to be further evaluated. You will be leaving our site when using these links and will need to manually return to our site for further information. 

We do not necessarily agree with all the information posted on other sites about ADD/ADHD. Some sites are supported by pharmaceutical companies and therefore present biased information about treatments other than medication.

 Adult Test From Amen Clinic Link

Another adult test LINK

Children’s Test LINK  

We really want to stress the importance of being evaluated by a neuro-psychiatrist or at least a psychiatrist. If medication is to be part of a treatment plan, it is also best to receive prescription medicine from a professional specifically trained in ADHD. The M.T.A. ADD/ADHD study has years of data showing that clients tend to function better under medication prescribed and monitored by a specialized medical professional.  

We can also use the IVA CPT test to monitor the effectiveness of medication as well as any treatment option. It is based solely on the performance of the individual rather than subjective forms of related information that are often just one persons opinion.

How does a clinician diagnose ADHD?

Most clinicians will spend some time observing the subject, then gather clinical and behavioral data from parents and teachers. These parental and teacher rating scales are used to quantify the severity of the problem and to establish that the symptoms occur in more than one environment. (These rating scales are subject to one's tolerances of certain behaviors, and are entirely one person's opinion.)

All children have ADHD-type problems to some degree, but it is the age inappropriateness, severity and prevalence of these problems, as well as their effect on the child’s functionality, which need to be assessed. The clinician will also consider other possible contributing psychological problems.

To counter the subjectivity of rating scales, many clinicians are using a new type of objective computerized test called a Continuous Performance Test (CPT). This type of test uses the computer to provide non-biased measures of impulsiveness, inattention, focus, mental effort and stamina.

Contrary to what many people believe, a positive response to stimulants does not confirm an ADHD diagnosis. Research in the 1980's found that children with or without ADHD were more attentive and focused after taking stimulants.

Why is it important to diagnose and treat ADHD at a young age?

If the problem is treated when the child is young, certain other problems may be less likely to develop. These other problems may include Depression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder.

Expert Advice

"Don't start your child on medication without a proven
system in place to provide you with objective and reliable information about it's effectiveness."

Dear Parent:

Most children with ADHD are started on medication without using any objective system to evaluate it's effectiveness. Instead, physicians often rely on unsystematic feedback from parents and teachers to decide about whether the medication helped and what was the correct dose. Unfortunately, such reports are often biased and incomplete, and do not provide the objective information about medication effectiveness that is necessary to make well informed decisions. As a result, some children take medication for extended periods even though they derive no real benefit from it, and others are maintained on a non-optimal dose.

If you are thinking about starting your child on medication, than you definitely want to have a systematic procedure in place to carefully monitor how it worked for your child.

Doesn't it make sense to obtain the objective information this program provides for making long term medication decisions for your child rather than relying on potentially unreliable and biased reports?

Please note that I am not advocating the use of medication as the treatment approach that should be used - that is a decision that only you and your child's doctor can make. If you decide to try medication, it just makes sense  to have a systematic procedure in place to evaluate the effectiveness for your child.

Sincerely,

David Rabiner, PhD
Licensed Psychologist

Comments about medication and treatment from Incredible Horizons

There are heated debates over medication for ADD and ADHD. (There is a lot  of research available on the dangers of Ritalin and stimulants elsewhere online.) We take the stance that there are holistic solutions and take pride in the research and product line that we provide. Our solutions can be used with medication or in an effort to eliminate or lessen the need for medication. We can also work toward the goal of reducing the classification of medication to a military accepted one. Currently, the military is not accepting applications from people on stimulants often used  in ADD/ADHD treatment.

There are a few unchallenged comments about medication that we want parents to know:

Ritalin and other stimulants used in treatment of ADD/ADHD substitute for cocaine and amphetamines in scientific studies. 

Ritalin is one of the top ten drugs involved in drug thefts.

***It's never a good idea to just stop taking any drug that the body has become adjusted to. This includes Ritalin, and all other similar drugs. No matter what you read online, consult your physician before discontinuing any medication.

We do not believe that FDA approval is a good measure of the effectiveness of a treatment for ADHD: considering the fact that they endorse some of the most dangerous methods. Their lack of involvement is almost an assurance that there is nothing unsafe/harmful in our product line.

Introduction to attention related brain research and treatments

As recently as twenty years ago, scientists believed that the genes we were born with wholly determined the structure of our brains. However, current extensive research performed by scientists worldwide proves that how our brains develop, learn, and grow depends on the vital interaction between nature and nurture. Nature, or more accurately, genetic endowment, is directly affected by the environment, care, challenges, and teachings received (nurture).

Attention related research continuously strives to deepen our understanding of the ADD/ADHD brain. It is evident that some persons are not born with the neural networks that facilitate focused attention. We have learned that new information (sensory input) enters the brain through preexisting networks, which is why it is imperative to provide challenging stimulation as early as possible during childhood.  Our cognitive training programs and Edufeedback system were designed to directly challenge students to build the neural networks necessary to pay attention. 

Our products that improve and spawn neural connections by increasing sensory input are our therapeutic music and light and sound programs. Our nutritional supplement (Attend) naturally improves the bodies ability to allow smooth, balanced information processing to obtain a focused attention and improved concentration. Attend also helps increase the flow of nutrients, oxygen and energy to the brain. They all have been heavily researched and have a consistent record of accomplishment in aiding their users to accomplish a level of optimum performance. Search the home page for the products that meet your needs and interests.

For more information on the treatment of ADD/ADHD see the link for the article on ADD Treatment. You will also find more interesting attention related research in the New Brain Research article.


More Home Based & Drug Free Program Suggestions for ADHD/ADD

Topics of Interest

Eleven ways to improve the life and Self Esteem of Children with ADD/ADHD

If Your Child was Shamu, would he perform?

Info about Diet and ADD

35 Good things about ADD/ADHD

NCLD Parent links Note: We do not necessarily agree with all the information posted on other sites about ADD/ADHD. Some sites are supported by pharmaceutical companies and therefore present biased information about treatments other than prescription medication.

Parent Support Group
B-Focasd
 Brevard Families of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders 
(or Similar Disabilities).
Melborne meetings are the first Wednesday of every month 7-9 p.m.
Port St. John/Cocoa: meet the 2^nd Tuesday of every month from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
For more info contact
cari@bfocasd.com

Suggestions for ADD/ADHD-Autism Spectrum (ASD) 

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