Attention

Children are naturally active, exuberant, easily distracted and, at times, very uncooperative. Almost all have times when they are out of control, in constant motion, making noise, crashing into everything around them and lacking the patience to wait their turn. At other times they may drift as if in a daydream, failing to pay attention or finish what they start.

Taken individually, impulsive, inattentive, hyperactive behaviors are perfectly normal. However, for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), or particularly Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD), these behaviors are so constant, so disruptive and so unmanageable that parents can't keep control, teachers can't teach, and the children themselves don't socialize well. An impulsive nature may put them in actual physical danger. In short, children with ADHD have behavior problems that are so frequent that they interfere with their ability to have normal lives.

Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorders

Deciding whether a child has those characteristics can be very subjective, so making an accurate diagnosis can be difficult. Attention deficit is a psychiatric diagnosis, not a medical one. There's no sign of physical abnormality in these children, and there is no test or scan to prove that it exists. Children are most commonly diagnosed by pediatricians who have only a few minutes during brief office visits to make the call. It is indeed a challenge for a pediatrician to determine which children are having difficulties appropriate for their age and those whose behavior is truly pathological.

School and Learning

It appears that children with ADD/ADHD have a different kind of intelligence. They like to observe and explore. They like to learn how things work and are drawn to things that are new or unexpected.

This is not the kind of academic intelligence usually cultivated in school. Typical schoolwork revolves around focus and planning; setting goals and reaching objectives. Information is acquired and children take tests to prove that they have absorbed a specific set of skills and facts and have not been distracted by other possibilities.

Children with ADD/ADHD are not good at planning and aiming for precise goals. In truth, it is not that they cannot pay attention, but they cannot stop paying attention: they are distracted because they have trouble focusing on just one event and shutting out all the rest.

Schoolchildren are expected to sit at a desk for hours at a time, work on a task within the time allowed, memorize everything that the teacher says, and be quiet in order not to be distracting. Those who do not comply, exhibit strong reactions to this environment or become "fidgety" are given the problem-child label. They are considered a disruption and an inconvenience. However, these children are usually very creative, curious and intelligent. They want to learn, but cannot adapt to the typical school environment.

"Junk Play"

Children who have difficulty paying attention in school can sit for hours in front of video and computer games. Technology is one of the first things to look at when dealing with a child who demonstrates attention problems or hyperactivity. A child who regularly plays these games is being exposed to constantly and rapidly changing stimuli, to which he becomes quickly conditioned. These games require quick reaction and skill but not logical thinking or planning ahead. Television is equally detrimental. The constant stream of loud noises, bright colors and changing camera angles contributes to short attention span. After much exposure to these devices, children cannot sit still or focus. These children would be calmer if they spent more time playing outdoors in natural surroundings.

Nutrition

Food affects behavior, memory and learning ability. Moreover, children have specific and complex nutritional needs that are not met with the standard American diet. Learning requires optimal health and brain function. If a child is eating the wrong foods or those foods which are deficient in the proper nutrients, his/her learning ability will be compromised.

A typical American child's diet contains large amounts of over-processed, packaged foods with unnecessary, harmful ingredients. These foods are vitamin and mineral deficient and full of pesticides. Freezing, frying, and overcooking further compromise the vitamin content. Sugary donuts and cereal can affect a child's ability to pay attention and cause irritability. Artificial colors, flavors and preservatives may also contribute to difficulty with thinking, coordination, and memory.

Serve whole, organic foods—in which nothing has been added or lost in processing. These real foods supply natural vitamin and mineral content without harmful additives, and ensure optimal functioning.

Brain Food

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to help with brain and nervous system function. The omega-3 oils, which are found in significant amounts only in oily fish, make up a quarter of the gray matter of the brain and are vital to brain and eye development. Children with symptoms of ADHD may do as well by taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements as they do with prescription stimulant drugs.

Children can take supplements of omega-3 oils in the form of fish oil capsules. Dietary sources of omega-3’s are chicken, eggs and beef—but only if the animals had been fed green plants or algae. Look for cage-free chickens and pasture-fed cattle. Small cold water fatty fish are a good source (sardines, salmon, herring) but larger fish from the ocean or fish farms might contain mercury or pesticides, so limit tuna, swordfish and shark.

Allergies and Environmental Illness

Some children who are considered to have hyperactivity or attention problems are actually suffering from food or environmental allergies. Cow's milk is one of the biggest culprits of allergies in children. It might be a good idea to remove all milk products from the child’s diet for at least a month. Other foods that can commonly cause allergies are wheat, corn, soy, eggs, citrus and peanuts. Additional things to look out for are nitrates (found in hot dogs, bacon and luncheon meats), MSG, caffeine, artificial colors and preservatives, and any foods with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats). Read the labels: almost all packaged foods have some or all of the above ingredients.

Modifying Behavior

Both parents and teachers can do much to support and train their children to manage their frustrating and stressful weaknesses, by doing such things as:

• Creating small steps toward solving problems so that a child feels mastery
• Use clear, brief directions
• Don't give instructions or ask a question unless you have a child's full attention.
• Don't yell or shout when addressing an ADHD child.
• Don't repeat the same command over and over rapidly. ADHD children have a delayed reaction time.

Medications

Stimulants are the most common type of medication prescribed for attention deficit disorder. Although the pills may help improve the ability to concentrate, control impulses, and follow through with tasks, children with ADD / ADHD might still struggle with forgetfulness, emotional problems, and social awkwardness.

A problem associated with the stimulants used to treat ADHD concerns the stunting of children’s growth. Drug-treated youths show a decrease in growth rate, gaining, on average, two fewer centimeters in height annually while on treatment, and they never catch up with their peers.

Further, studies show that stimulant drugs such as Ritalin provide no long-term benefit in the treatment of ADHD. Even when medication is effective in relieving symptoms of ADD/ADHD, it only works on the day that the drug is being taken. When medication stops, those symptoms return.

Medication does have its place in the treatment of attention disorders, but it is important to know the facts and make an informed choice. Whether or not you elect to have your child medicated, he or she will certainly benefit from the lifestyle changes suggested here. Eliminating processed foods, chemicals and allergens, and eating an organic whole foods diet can help children to function at their highest level of health. It is much more difficult to go this route than to accept a drug as an instant cure. It takes time, persistence and effort for both parent and child. It is not easy to change the diet of a child who is completely attached to unhealthy foods. Usually, the entire family needs to cooperate. However, there are huge payoffs in the behavior changes and the overall health and happiness of the child as well as the whole family.