Are Children Misdiagnosed with ADHD?

Are we seeing more cases of ADHD these days? We are. But, according to research done by Todd Elder, a Michigan State University economist, about 7 million children in the US have been misdiagnosed with the problem.

The reason? They happen to be the youngest and therefore deemed most immature kids in their kindergarten class. The youngest children in kindergarten are 60% more likely to e diagnosed with this disorder than the oldest ones.

According to Elder, many ADHD diagnoses are driven by teacher perception of disruptive and unacceptable behavior in the classroom; however, this behavior is perhaps more a reflection of emotional immaturity and age than attention deficit disorder.

Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that there are at least 4.5 million diagnoses of ADHD among children under 18 in the US. The fear is that children are given the diagnosis and medicated for the “problem” simply because they are less mature than older students in the same class.


More information can be found in these articles.

Nearly One Million Children in US Potentially Misdiagnosed with ADHD, Study Finds

Birth Dates, School Enrollment Dates Affect ADHD Diagnosis Rates, Study Shows

A Meditation Practice called IBMT can help the ADHD Child

The brain of a child with ADHD is different from that of a normal child. Researchers have shown that the brain network that controls behavior and impulses is located in an area called the anterior cingulate cortex. In normal children, this area (also called ACC) is activated when conscious decisions are made. In ADHD children, however, little or no activation occurs, which explains why ADHD children have a difficult time following instructions.

However, a new meditation practice might be able to change this situation. It is called IBMT, short for Integrative Body Mind Training. Using different body and mind techniques together with mindfulness traditions, IBMT has shown remarkable effects on the human body and brain.

For one thing, it lowers cholesterol, decreases stress, engages the parasympathetic activity of the body within 6 hours of training. Practitioners experience a deep restful state. As well, significant changes in the white matter of the anterior cingulate network are evident after 11 hours of training. Enhancing white matter means better brain connectivity and activation of the executive functions of the frontal lobes. All in all, they mean a better brain and by extension, better behavior.

More about this amazing meditation technique that can within a matter of weeks produce real changes in hyperactivity, impulsiveness and anger here.

What Are Smart Drugs?

Drugs traditionally used for the treatment of ADHD, ADD are now used as brain enhancers. Are these drugs safe for healthy individuals who are seeking brain stimulants for the "cognitive edge"?

A new brand of brain enhancers has hit the market. Referred to as “smart drugs,” they enhance the brain’s supply of neurochemicals by improving oxygen consumption and stimulating nerve growth. Primarily used for treating diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Narcolepsy and ADHD, smart drugs have moved into the hands of the general population, especially university students in pursuit of the academic edge. Questions are now raised not only about the safety of these drugs, but the ethics of their use in a culture seduced by the illusion of limitless perfection.


Smart Drugs as Cognitive Enhancers

Stimulants for cognitive enhancement have existed in the market for years. Caffeine and guarana have made their rounds through the general population; their effect, however, is temporary, which is not the case with cognitive enhancers. These drugs provide evidence of sustained and powerful mental acuity.

Drugs like Modafinil have been tested by the military; another drug, donepezil, prescribed for Alzheimer’s disease, has boosted the performance of pilots in flight simulation tests. Ritalin, prescribed for ADHD, has been circulating among students as a study aid. It is estimated that between 7-25% of university students have used stimulants for a purpose other than medical prescription at least once.

Read more at http://drug-abuse.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_are_smart_drugs

How Exercise Helps Children with ADHD

Exercise Helps ADHD by Releasing Natural Mood-Regulating Chemicals

One reason why runners tend to cultivate a lifelong engagement with the activity is the "high" they experience from running. Exercise like running releases endorphins that "calm the brain and relieve muscle pain during strenuous exercise"(117). These "feel good" compounds regulate mood, pleasure and pain. Exercise also elevates levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the blood. These neurotransmitters regulate the focus, attention and the reward centers of the brain. Ritalin and various stimulants have a direct effect on these brain chemicals as well. However, if exercise can "do the trick," why use medication?

Exercise is a natural and effective remedy for ADHD. It develops the executive functions of the brain which control impulsiveness and hyperactivity. It releases natural mood-regulating brain chemicals that develop focus, attention and a sense of well-being. Ratey insists that these effects can only be generated by consistent activity – daily exercise for 45 minutes to an hour six days a week. The key is to make exercise a life event – part of the child's routines.

Read more at http://adhdchildren.suite101.com/article.cfm/natural_remedy_for_adhd

What Can Neurofeedback Do for Kids with ADHD?

We can think of neurofeedback for ADHD ( also known as EEG Biofeedback)as a means of monitoring the body through the mind.

Most of us are not aware of the way our brain's electrical activity can affect our emotions and behavior. It is a form of treatment using a monitoring device that provides immediate feedback of brain electrical activity to the child, allowing him or her to learn what positive changes in the body, emotions and mind feel like. In this sense, EEG Biofeedback manages behavior by controlling the brain.

Because hyperactivity is mainly a problem with the proper functioning of the frontal lobes, proponents of neurofeedback claim that by monitoring and training brain wave activity, this self-regulating therapy can bring about changes in the child's behavior.

How Effective is Neurofeedback for ADHD?

A new study conducted in Germany suggests that neurofeedback for ADHD provides dramatic results for hyperactive children.

102 children aged 8-12 were randomly assigned to two treatment options - 36 sessions of neurofeedback training or 36 sessions of computerized attention training.

These children have all been diagnosed with ADHD; over 90 have never received medication and 80% of the children were boys.

Children in both groups took part in 2-3 training sessions per week. In EEG Biofeedback group, children learned to create and sustain a state of focused attention by monitoring their body responses. These children received direct feedback on their EEG state.

Children in the computerized attention training (the control group) were given systematic exercises to train their visual and auditory perception, attention and reactivity; however these children received no direct feedback of their EEG state.

Results showed that neurofeedback treatment yielded significantly greater reductions of ADHD symptoms than the control group treatment. 51% of children in the EEG Biofeedback group experienced at least 25% reduction in ADHD symptoms.In the control group, only 26% of children achieved this level.

How Neurofeedback Can Help Hyperactive Kids

Neurofeedback is a form of treatment that manages behavior by controlling the brain's electrical activity. Because hyperactivity is mainly a problem with the proper functioning of the frontal lobes, proponents of neurofeedback claim that by monitoring and training the executive functions of the brain, this self-regulating therapy can bring about changes in the child's behavior.

How does Neurofeedback Work?

A child is hooked up to an EEG brainwave monitor. One electrode measures the heart's electrocardiogram; another monitors the muscle activity or EMG. The monitor "translates" the EEG into 4 brain wave patterns - delta, theta, alpha, low beta, high beta. The purpose is to locate the SMR or the sensorimotor rhythm which is at 12 to 15 hertz or the low beta frequency.

What is SMR?

SMR is an inhibition wave that is associated with calmness and alertness; its rhythm is very distinct in its "controlling" function; it inhibits impulses. A child who cannot tune out distractions is often fidgety and restless. Such a child has low SMR. An increase in his experience of SMR frequencies can change the dynamics of his behavior.

Because SMR is associated with calmness and alertness (as experienced by people who are meditating), it allows the child to function at peak levels without being distracted.

ADHD children have an excessive amount of theta, the slow brain wave which explains why they are impulsive and hyperactive. Their sense of time has been slowed down and they react with a ramped up response to events.

How does Neurofeedback Help the Child?

The monitor teaches the child what it feels like when his brain is at the SMR level. Through practice, he can automatically arrive at the SMR level when he needs to calm down. Eventually, he learns self-regulation and self-control.

The SMR rhythm also allows the brain to be responsive to learning. When the brain is functioning at low beta frequency, it is open to making neural and synaptic connections which form the basis of learning. Learning takes place when neurons fuse together into new entities and circuitry; their ability to do so is best when the brain is relaxed and alert.

What are the Advantages of Neurofeedback?

Proponents of neurofeedback claim that this form of self-regulating training is better than using prescription medication which comes with a host of issues of their own.

Neurofeedback for children appears often in the form of video games that help moderate brain activity in the child. These therapy sessions are therefore seen as fun.

The child is asked to learn self-control which has tremendous benefits in terms of self-empowerment.The SMR state is also known as the meditative state. Conditioning the brain for relaxation response is definitely a health benefit.

Parents seeking effective and natural remedies for their hyperactive children should consult their physician regarding the use of neurofeedback.

The Tourette Syndrome Child

I have taught a tourette syndrome child and I know that a lot of difficulty associated with these children is the public's misunderstanding of their behavior and situation.

Tourette syndrome or TS is a genetic, neuro-chemical disorder characterized by involuntary muscle movement called tics. These tics can appear as simple repetitive movements such as blinking or exaggerated actions like gyrations on the floor.

Working with children with TS can be challenging especially when they sometimes present with accompanying conditions such as ADHD and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Rage or aggressive behavior has been reported as a clinical problem in about 25-40% of TS patients. However, understanding the mechanics behind the syndrome can bring about successful management of the Tourette syndrome child in the classroom.

What is a Tic?

Integrating the TS child into a regular classroom works best when the children in the classroom understand what a tic is. Tics often begin as uncomfortable tingling urges or sensations to move a set of muscles. Studies suggest that repressing a tic is not a good idea because the urge becomes increasingly insistent until it becomes an outburst. Telling the children in class what a tic is and emphasizing how it is as natural as sneezing can teach them the importance of sympathy and understanding for those who are different. As well, this approach de-mystifies the syndrome. A tic is as natural to the TS child as a sneeze. Moreover, tics usually disappear in frequency and severity as the child gets older. They are barely noticeable after the age of 19.

This being said, it is worthy to note that many teachers claim that tics can be stopped in mid-track through diversion or distraction. Encouraging the Tourette syndrome child to concentrate on a set of math problems or reading a book can actually divert his attention away from the tic and calm down the involuntary muscle movements. One teacher claims that her TS child gets on the computer when she feels a tic coming one. Physically moving the mouse and concentrating on the screen are enough to stop the oncoming tic.

There are many other adjustments we can make to help our tourette syndrome children in the classroom and at home.

More on this at a later date!

Back to Nature

The number of children diagnosed with ADHD, ADD and anxiety disorders has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. Why?

One reason, speculates Richard Louv in Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder is that modern children have become disconnected from the natural world. Early exposure of children to nature helps them thrive intellectually, physically and spiritually. Scientific research also shows that immersion in nature has successfully healed many forms of stress and anxiety disorders in both children and adults.

Perhaps the artificial setting of TV and Computer monitors, hermetically sealed air conditioned rooms, schools and shopping centers have taken away the rhythm of the natural setting from our kids. We have lost a deep and organic connection to our primal nature.

Getting them back to nature can help them reconnect with their emotional and spiritual centers.

Richard Louv makes a lot of sense to me! That's why it is so heartening to see that an agency in UK is actually taking steps to re-connect English children with the natural setting.




Environmental agency Natural England plans to take a million children to nature reserves and farms over the next three years following research showing that contact with nature has halved in a generation.

Members of Natural England feel that nature-based activities like tree-climbing, running through the fields can play an important role in the educational and social development of children.

According to Natural England's Childhood and Nature survey, "less than 10 per cent of children play in natural places such as woods, countryside and heaths. This compares with 40 per cent of adults who said they played in natural areas when they were young."

Their support of natural settings for children is commendable!

Read on:

http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Education/896105/One-million-children-go-back-nature/

Has the World Gone ADHD?

According to Mitch Battros of Earth Changes Media, a new study shows that we are definitely affected by the geomagnetic activity of Earth's Magnetic Field. There is a direct correlation between the Sun's solar storms and human biological activity. Oleg Shumilov of the Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems in Russia examined the activity in the Earth's Magnetic Field from 1948-1997.

The activity fell under three yearly seasonal peaks-- March to May, July and October. What he found was that geomagnetic peaks coincided with peaks in occurrences of mood disorders--depression, anxiety, bipolar mood swings as well as suicides in the Russian city of Kirosk over the same period.

What is the connection between the Magnetic Field and human mood and behavior? asks Battros.

One explanation he puts forth is that we have magnetic fields around each of us as well. According to NASA, we are now moving into Cycle 24 which is 50% stronger than Cycle 23. In Cycle 23, we witnessed the largest solar flare ever recorded.

What this suggests is that during Cycle 24, we will be witnessing even more significant earth changing events on the physical level--earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, seismic activities.
( Have you noticed that there are at least one news report about earthquakes somewhere in this world every week?)

We will also be witnessing more emotional events on the human level. Already there is a significant rise in the number of children exhibiting behavior and mood disorders. Even adult behavior has become similarly disruptive.

As I've indicated in a previous post, has the world gone ADHD?

Attention Deficit Disorder and Your Child

Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder or A.D.D. symptoms include the following:
The child has a hard time focusing on the task at hand.
The child has a very hard time organizing.
The child is very forgetful or at least seems to be.

Examples of Attention Deficit Disorder Scenarios
Your child has homework and seems to have difficulty starting the homework. It seems like a never ending battle night after night to get his or her homework done. Your child may sit at the table, complaining that he or she does not know how to do it.

Help Suggestion
Every night have a routine called “homework time.” Sit down with your child every night at the same time at the kitchen table or desk where homework is done. Go over the directions with your child. Focus on one step at a time as too many directions can easily confuse the A.D.D. child. Let the child do the homework, but if he or she needs more help with the explanation of the directions, make sure you are readily available.

Your child seems messy and/or incapable of organizing his or her school satchel and room. Your child may have a hard time focusing on packing up his/her backpack the evening before school. You feel like a broken record having to tell your child to pack up.

Help Suggestion
You must be organized yourself. Start with your home, perhaps the kitchen, and start organizing the clutter. Clean and remove unwanted or unused items. Move to the living room, bedrooms and bathrooms. You will feel better yourself after this is done. Be an excellent example to teach your A.D.D. child how to be organized. Help your child develop a routine for his/her responsibilities this sense of organization can be carried into adulthood.

Forgetfulness is something that can be reduced with calendars and notes. Teach your child write reminders in a notebook. Have your child carry the notebook in his/her pocket and make a habit of referring to the notebook throughout the day.


Where to Get Help
Speak to your child’s teachers at school. The teachers and school psychologist may get started on testing your child. The teachers will fill out forms required for the evaluation. The next step is to make a doctor appointment so your child can be evaluated for A.D.D.

Summary
If you feel your child has A.D.D. symptoms please speak to your school teachers and family doctor.

Children and the New Human

There is no doubt that children born in the past 15-20 years are different. They have a stronger sense of who they are. They resist the platitude that froze our households when we were young: "Children should be seen, not heard." They are more inclined than we were to speak out against an injustice. They will tell you what's on their mind and they will argue with you if for any reason they feel they have been shortchanged.

Many have been labeled ADHD kids at school. In fact, Mary Rodwell RN, hypnotherapist and president of ACERN, quoted Russian DNA researchers who predicted that "fifty percent of children will become a problem as soon as they go to school, since the system lumps everyone together and demands adjustment. But the individuality of today's children is so strong that they refuse this adjustment and resist giving up their idiosyncrasies…. At the same time more and more clairvoyant children are being born. Something in those children is striving more towards group consciousness of a new kind and it can no longer be suppressed."

Here is an example of an indigo child speaking her mind.

Many children are demonstrating unusual psychic abilities. My niece, for example, has special sight; she has been seeing spirits ever since she could walk. Now a self-assured fifteen year old, she has been working on communicating with them. "They always come from behind me. I can feel them before I see them," she tells me. There are many like her, often gifted with healing abilities.

My grand-daughter,3, tells me that there are 5 crystal hearts inside our red heart. "These are the real hearts we must use," she tells me very seriously.
"Where did you get that idea from?" I ask her.
"The light."
"What light?"
"The light at the center of the world."

Children in India-China Himalayas have been communicating with each other through a special sign language unknown to their families or people around them. No one knows where or how they learned the sign language. Nor do the children themselves. Still others speculate that these children have been in communication with extraterrestrials that are only visible to them. Another report emerges from Mexico City claiming that a New Human has emerged in their children who can "see" with various parts of their bodies.

Although much of this sounds like science fiction, we must resist the temptation to cast these reports to the wind. The world is different now and we can no longer bury our heads in the sand. These children are an indication that we are all changing; the whole world is changing and we need to pay attention.

Rodwell claims that scientists have discovered the plasticity of human DNA; it is responsive to human language, which means that genetic coding can be reprogrammed through music, sound, words, thoughts and frequencies. "The human DNA is like a biological internet," which we can access and rewrite.

Our children and grandchildren are part of a New Earth that will ring new changes in. Rodwell speculates that this is a part of an evolutionary upgrade program. She writes, "A 'New Human' with multi-level awareness of our cosmic connection to all that is may well be the only way we will finally appreciate what we have, change our behavior and grow up to take responsibility for ourselves and this beautiful planet."

You can read Rodwell's article here.