Taking a Different Path - Alternative Treatment For ADD/ADHD

Author: Jimmy Brownen

Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food

–Hippocrates

In the US, other than prescribed medications, there are no other federally-approved treatments for ADD/ADHD. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is still supporting drug therapy as the treatment for this disorder. Findings of many studies point to availability of “natural” treatments; therefore, a rising number of health professionals are proposing behavioral and dietary interventions to supplement.

What can be said about prescription medication is that it is still new to the practice of medicine but plant extracts and other holistic remedies have existed before our time. Modern medicine possesses the wondrous capability to alter natural substances to form a chemical derivative that has absolutely nothing to do with the original material in its final form.

It is, however, very interesting that it was the advent of chemically-based foods, sweeteners, additives, and, yes, medications that signaled the advent of the ADD/ADHD “epidemic”.

Are there any possible connections?

ADD/ADHD is a result of the appearance of chemical substance which has the ability to produce biochemical reactions within the body. It is then capable of altering the body’s functioning to elicit unnatural symptoms. All this of course is the result of changes in the environment change the natural bodily function.

The rise in cases of ADD/ADHD have risen in concurrence with the widespread usage of chemical additives, preservatives, and substances. This further testifies that natural malfunction of the human body is cannot the major cause of ADD/ADHD most cases. The toxin environment created by unnatural substances is what causes failure in for the body to function properly.

As the use of chemicals has increased, so have the rates of ADD/ADHD diagnoses.

The reality is that some individuals are more sensitive to extraneous toxins than others. Just as some people are more prone to reacting to allergens whereas others are not affected by them at all, some people are simply biologically programmed to have a more severe reaction to toxins than others.

The body of a highly sensitive individuals can react in a way such as developing symptoms like fidgeting, distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, and behavioral problems when placed in a toxin environment but if these individuals are removed form the environment then the symptom can be reduced or even disappear completely.

The issue of ADD/ADHD treatment is that many people knows that the toxin effecting sufferer of ADD/ADHD must be removed from them and this goes for removing the individuals from the toxic environment too but the vast number of us are still unclear about how to go about doing that. With the many non-medication method available today, prescribed medication should be the last

choice in anyone seeking out ways to deal with this disorder.

These are the issues that needs to be addressed and have proven to help control a great number of ADD/ADHD cases:

the nutritional needs of the individual - any existing behavioral issues - toxins present within the individual’s environment

Not many have found the need for medications, even if it is during emergencies.

Many researchers suspect, and are now investigating, the correlation between food allergies and behavioral problems. These researchers have gone so far as to suggest that more than 60% of individuals suspected of having ADD/ADHD might be “cured” by eliminating such toxins as sugar, artificial colors and preservatives, soy, milk, chocolate, wheat, some citrus fruits, and eggs from their diets.

Elimination diet is one of the most recommended method of stabilizing ADD/ADHD like behavior. Here is a short guide for implementing elimination diet.

1. Begin by eliminating foods, or food groups, that might be responsible for the symptoms. If dairy products are suspected, eliminate all dairy products. Should the symptoms improve, dairy can be added back into the diet, one food at a time. When and if symptoms return, the food, or foods, that were most recently introduced are the probable culprits.

2. You can start eliminating food such as diary, wheat products, sugar, eggs, nuts, soy products, corn, and citrus fruits and juices because they are usually the type that are responsible for these symptoms.

3. Try to carry out food elimination for two weeks and during that time, breathing, and general health should be closely monitored.
4. Foods should then be introduced one at a time and for the period of three days minimum. Introducing food should be done at three days interval until a reaction appears.

5. Make sure to read food labels! Some products contain the offending foods as an ingredient and will produce a reaction.

Food diary is another method that can be used to detect food allergies. This method is done by recording all foods, beverages, snacks, candies, etc. that are consumed. This is also extended to inoffensive substances as gum, medications (even over the counter meds), and candies. Don’t forget to record down breathing, and general health in the diary as well as sleeping patterns, activity levels, and attitude. Patterns should be detectable according to what was ingested at the end of the month.

Elimination diets and food diaries are now being used to uncover toxins that may be responsible for such conditions as Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, general food allergies, Fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, and even depression!

About the author:

Jimmy Brownen is a leading expert in the field of ADHD and has years of experience in the treatment of it. For more information on the disorder or for alternative means of curing ADHD

Understanding Methods Of Treating Autism

Author: Jon Arnold

The first step in treating autism is developing an understanding of what autism is. One out of every 150 births is estimated to result in a child affected by this neurological "spectrum disorder". This disorder affects the normal functions of the brain that impact social interaction and communication skills.

Autism is considered a "spectrum disorder" because it has the ability to affect each individual differently, resulting in various combinations of behavior issues with varying degrees of severity. This results in children displaying different levels of autism and is reflected in the various references to the disorder such as autistic tendencies, high or low-functioning autism and more or less enabled. It is important that anyone interested in treating autism not pay too close attention to the term used to define a child's specific level of autism, as every child has the ability to improve their condition with treatment and education.

The symptoms of Autism disorders are varied and are often times confused with symptoms of Asperger's Disorder. Although both disorders fall under the larger umbrella of "Pervasive Developmental Disorders" and share some of the same traits, each is a very different disorder. Where autism is a neurological disorder, Asperger's sufferers show far fewer neurological problems than their autism counterparts. They also display a higher verbal IQ than performance IQ in testing, the exact opposite of autistic IQ testing results. These differences between these disorders are very important to those developing ways to treat autism, as different approaches are needed for each disorder.

The main goal in treating autism is to provide an autistic child with the ability to function within their environment. Often times various types of treatment are used in combination to help them achieve this. Treatments such as behavior modification, communication therapy and dietary modifications are used to help improve the mental and physical symptoms of autism. The most common type of treatment is based on applied behavior analysis. This theory is based upon the idea that behavior that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated then behavior that is ignored. This type of treatment directly addresses the obsessive and repetitive tendencies of autistic spectrum disorders.

In addition to obsessive behaviors, most autistic children show great resistance to change. The combination of these two behaviors results in a very great need for structure in their lives. Using behavior modification techniques that are highly-structured and skill-oriented can greatly improve an autistic child's chance of improvement. The more controlled the treatment, the better the child will cope with it. Part of the treatment is also controlling the environment the treatment is conducted in. To ease the obsessive behavior and resistance to any type of change, intense one-on-one treatment and extensive caregiver participation is best.

The most important thing in treating autism is to recognize that each child, while having the same diagnosis, will exhibit very different symptoms. Each path of treatment will vary but will need to incorporate the basic needs of autism sufferers, such as routine and scheduling, as well as the needs of each individual child.

Getting Started With Autism Music Therapy

Author: Rachel Evans

 

Studies and anecdotal evidence alike are clearly showing that therapy based on music can have a significant impact on reducing the symptoms of autism in children including undesirable autistic behaviors. Music therapy is a form of autism treatment based on carefully planned musical exercises and experiences. It is carefully evaluated before, during, and after every session so that it can be altered to best suit the individual needs of the autistic child. There are many different elements involved in autism music therapy, including:

• Listening to music
• Creating music
• Singing along to music
• Moving or dancing to music
• Playing musical instruments of any kind

This form of music therapy can have a notable positive outcome when treating children with various types and levels of autism. Participation in this kind of therapeutic assistance provides the children with the chance to be exposed to carefully measured and chosen, non-threatening stimulation, since no human contact is required.

Music therapy is beneficial as it can be tailored to specifically meet the unique needs of the child based on their own autism symptoms and their tastes and preferences. This ability to customize the therapy is very important as every case of autism is different from others and what may be very effective for one child may create negative results in another. To accomplish this customization, there are several kinds of music therapy that can be used on their own or in conjunction with one another.

The results of autism music therapy is far reaching and touches on many elements in the child's life. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Socio-emotional development - Autistic children frequentlystruggle with (or ignore) social contact efforts made by otherpeople. Using music therapy, children can be drawn out of socialwithdrawal through their relationship with the music or an instrument of their choice. The music works as an intermediary between the child and people around them.

• Verbal and non-verbal communication - Singing and dancing to music helps autistic children to improve their speech vocalization and express themselves physically. Many mental processes are stimulated by listening to and producing music, such as symbolizing, conceptualizing, and comprehension. Often, autistic children find it easier to accept different sounds than verbal speech. Music is therefore a good transition to get them used to sounds. Furthermore, when playing wind instruments and singing, the children become more familiar with the various parts of their mouths and how to manipulate them for speech and other purposes.

• Emotional fulfillment - Many autistic children struggle to respond effectively with stimuli in their environment, making it difficult to enjoy a full emotional experience. Therefore, since the majority of autistic children respond well to the stimulus of music therapy experience, autistic kids can enjoy a fear-free experience for a full emotional moment.

Autism music therapy sessions are generally very flexible, allowing the children the opportunity to learn and express themselves at their own pace and to their own preferences and taste, achieving great emotional satisfaction.

The Awesome Power Of Musical Therapy In Treating Autism

by Andrew Gowans

Musical therapy is a relatively new treatment method for autism patients, but one that should not be overlooking when discussing options. Patients who receive musical therapy often should great improvement in temperament and learning skills. Music connects to the non-verbal part of our brains, making it a perfect therapy for disorders in which the patient has trouble communicating, such as autism. Research this innovative treatment method if you are looking for some help with autism and haven't had much luck in the past.

Musical therapy is effective because it can be used in conjunction with learning social skills. Music is a very non-threatening medium for patients, and many games can be played using music to help improve social and behavioral skills. By encouraging eye contact while singing or using instruments that need to get close to the face, musical therapy can help autistic individuals break social barriers.
The number one way that musical therapy can help children, as well as older autistic patients, is by helping with the development of speech skills. Music is a way to connect the verbal and non-verbal functions in the brain. Autistic individuals may have various forms of speech problems. Some can only hum, grunt, or make other non-word noises, while others babble nonsensical phrases or cries.

 
Still others gain the capability to put together phrases and sentences to communicate with the world, although these usually lack emotion. Autistic people are known for monotone voices. However, no matter how skilled the individual is with speech, he or she can participate in musical therapy by clapping rhythms, humming along, or doing simple echoing songs.

 
Autistic individuals are commonly found to be particularly good at music. Some, for instance, have perfect pitch. Others can play a particular instrument very well, with little instruction. Even if he or she shows no genius musical ability by normal standards, you may find that a particularly hard to deal with autistic person has abilities in music that exceed his or her other abilities. A musical therapist can use music as a way to link this kind of learning with other kinds of learning, not only as speech development and social behavioral development as previously discussed, but also as a way to communicate emotions and develop memory.

By using all of these techniques in conjunction with one another, musical therapy can work wonders with people who are autistic. Trained professionals can use music to teach children and others how to communicate in nonverbal ways, making it easier for patients to learn. Research the musical therapy option to provide you or your child with another choice when treating autism.