Resources for ADD/ADHD

By: Jenna Brooklyn
Submitted: 2009-11-06 15:15:19
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So you are the parent of an active child. You are thrilled they are so full of life but wonder if perhaps they have the symptoms of ADD or ADHD. Be assured that most children are super active but only a small percentage will be diagnosed with a disorder. And the only way to know is to have your child diagnosed. But even if your child is diagnosed with the disorder, there is a wide range of resources available to help you and your child manage their condition. They can live a full and healthy life.

Many experts recommend the best treatment to be many treatments. That is, rather than say just give your child the appropriate medication or just have them attend counseling sessions, use a number of different treatments. The resources are available and you should at least consider all possibilities; but having said that, you should also understand that any successful treatment will not happen overnight. In fact it usually takes some time to bring the condition under control.

Medication is often used when treating a child with ADD/ADHD. And the medications can vary using such things as stimulants or antidepressants. And if there is an infection then antibiotics may be prescribed. Of course some parents are not keen on prescribed medications or at least prefer alternatives and seek out such options. That is a reasonable approach provided at all times the parent has sought the advice of medical professionals and even a specialist working in the appropriate field.

In fact medications may not be seen as the solution because your child may be influenced by certain foods or certain ingredients in foods such as colorings and additives. If this is the case, diet plays a significant role in the treatment of the child. Remove those foodstuffs which trigger the disorder and you may go a long way to controlling the hyperactivity of the child. Again, testing and diagnosis is the key. Find out what is wrong and what is the cause before choosing the treatment.

Counseling is an important resource although not necessarily for the child. The counseling is often directed at the parents and teachers, the people most likely to interact with the active child. By learning skills and strategies to use when working with the child, the active youngster is brought to an understanding of how to behave.

There are specialists available each of whom can offer practical advice in the treatment of your child. A nutritionist will know about diet and about what is likely to stimulate the activity. A behavioral scientist will know why the child is behaving the way they are and how this behavior can be modified and a therapist will have advice for the family particularly and for the child on implementing strategies to make life as happy and as normal as possible.

There is no doubt the ADD/ADHD condition applies to many children but equally, our knowledge of the condition has increased considerably in recent years as have the number and variety of resources which are available to help the children, their family and teachers.

Article source: Expert Articles