Treatment of ADHD can be very patchy and a lot depends on the education of the parents, the doctors and the teachers. These are the main stakeholders in the game and they all can play a vital role. But an alternative therapy for ADHD is often viewed with some hostility and suspicion, which is most unfair in my view.
Far too often, all the three stakeholders are seeking an easy way out in over prescribing the psychostimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall. These may provide some short term relief in lessening symptoms such as lack of attention and concentration, restlessness and hyperactivity.
But now lots of medical research is flagging up some uncomfortable questions about the efficacy of these meds and indeed their safety. The work of Prof. Alan Sroufe has been a key element in this regard. He works at the Minnesota Institute of Child Development. He is firmly convinced that although Ritalin has been widely used now for over forty years, there have been no long positive effects and that they are not really the way to help children to manage their ADHD.
He also argues that the fact that they have been overused is an alarming signal which show we have understood very little about the real issues in ADHD.
But now lots of medical research is flagging up some uncomfortable questions about the efficacy of these meds and indeed their safety. The work of Prof. Alan Sroufe has been a key element in this regard. He works at the Minnesota Institute of Child Development. He is firmly convinced that although Ritalin has been widely used now for over forty years, there have been no long positive effects and that they are not really the way to help children to manage their ADHD.
He also argues that the fact that they have been overused is an alarming signal which show we have understood very little about the real issues in ADHD.
It is at this point that we should pay much closer attention to alternative therapy for ADHD. Whatever treatment option we choose, we should be aware that it is just one element in a complex range of factors. There is the home environment to think about, routines, physical exercise, diet and above all helping children to become aware of what the behavior issues are.
There is much at stake here as Dr. Russell Barkley has pointed out in a seminal work which was published some years ago. The figures are startling because we now know that a child with ADHD is actually more at risk of the following:-
• up to 40% risk school self exclusion
• up to 70% are at risk of having no or very few friends
• up to 80% risk under performance at work
• up to 50% are at risk of displaying anti social behavior.
• up to 40% risk school self exclusion
• up to 70% are at risk of having no or very few friends
• up to 80% risk under performance at work
• up to 50% are at risk of displaying anti social behavior.
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