ADD Misdiagnosis

There are 900,000 cases of misdiagnosed attention-deficit disorder according to a study by Todd Elder.  Elder’s study, published in the Journal of Health Economics, looked at a child’s age in comparison to his peers to measure the likelihood of an attention-deficit disorder diagnosis.  Elder states, “If a child is behaving poorly, if he's inattentive, if he can't sit still, it may simply be because he's 5 and the other kids are 6".

Elder used a sample of nearly 12,000 children to examine if age plays a role in the diagnosis and medication rates between the oldest and youngest children in each grade.  He determined a child’s age using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort where he compared the children’s birthdates with the school’s cut-off date for that grade level.  His research found that the youngest children were 60 percent more likely to receive an attention-deficit disorder diagnosis than the oldest children in that same grade level.  The youngest children were also twice as likely to be prescribed stimulants.

Studies like this highlight that we still have a long way to go in identifying and treating attention-deficit disorder.  I am personally shocked that a teacher’s opinion on whether or a not a child has attention-deficit disorder plays such a big role in diagnosis.  I think this reminds us that even experts can make mistakes so it is important to remember to seek second opinions and consider environmental factors before prescribing drugs to children.   

Hypersensitivity to Food and ADHD

Drugs are the common treatment for an ADHD diagnosis, but a new study says that the majority of ADHD cases can be solved through dieting.  A study lead by Dr. Lindy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands recently published an article in the Lancet journal.  Pelsser believes the way society treats ADHD is wrong.  She believes that once a child is diagnosed with ADHD, parents and doctors should start looking for environmental causes rather than putting the child on drugs. 

Pelsser did a study involving children ages 4-8 with ADHD who were not currently on a diet, taking ADHD medication, or attending behavioral therapy.  The study placed the children on either a high-immunoglobulin G (IgG) or a low-IgG diet.  The low-IgG diet began on foods such as rice, meat, vegetables, pears, and water complemented by foods like potatoes, fruits, and wheat.  If ADHD signs continued, the diet began to remove complementary foods. The study found that after removing foods that incite ADHD behavior, most of the children stopped showing signs of ADHD.  The study concluded that 64 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD are experiencing hypersensitivity to foods. 

Teachers and doctors who worked with the children were amazed at the results.  The children were calmer, less distracted, and less forgetful.  Pelsser states, “In all children, we should start with diet research."  It is only after a child’s behavior does not change that drugs should be considered an option.  It is also important to consult your doctor before altering a child’s diet.  "We have got good news — that food is the main cause of ADHD.  We've got bad news — that we have to train physicians to monitor this procedure because it cannot be done by a physician who is not trained", says Pelsser.

Do you feel that Peisser study concretely proves that food is the main cause for ADHD like she says?  Is dieting is the best way to reduce ADHD symptoms?  

Do ADD Drugs Work

There are currently 3 million children in the United States who take medication for attention deficit disorder.   Over the past 30 years, drugs consumption for attention-deficit disorder has increased twentyfold.  At the end of 2011, ashortage of drugs like Ritalin and Adderall caused parents to panic because they believed these drugs were vital to their child’s ability to function.  Were these fears justified?

There is indisputable evidence that attention-deficit disorder drugs are effective in the short-term, but the long term success of these drugs is questionable.  A child’s body begins to adapt to attention deficit disorder drugs after a few weeks when common side effects like loss of appetite and sleepiness begin to subside.  After a while, a child’s body begins to develop a tolerance to the attention-deficit disorder drugs, limiting its effectiveness.  When the parents decide to take the child off attention-deficit disorder drugs, the child’s body has become dependent on these drugs and their behavior tends to worsen.  Parents routinely associate these behavioral outbreaks as a sign the medication is effective, but the response is due to the body’s dependency similar to irritability after quitting smoking.

 

In 2009, a study published its finding after studying 600 with attention deficit disorder split into 4 groups.  The study divided the groups by

1.      Receiving medication alone
2.      Receiving cognitive behavioral therapy alone
3.      Receiving medication and therapy
4.      Receiving nothing (control group)

The study initially saw children receiving medication perform better, but after 8 years there was no evidence suggesting that medication produced any academic or behavioral benefits.  To date, there is no credible study that has found any long-term benefits from taking attention-deficit disorder medication in terms of academic performance, peer relationships, or behavioral problems.

Neuroscience shows children with attention-deficit disorders possess brain abnormalities, supporting the theory that attention deficit disorder is an inborn brain malfunction; however, we do not know if the cause of these abnormalities occurred at birth or through experiences.   In 1975, a study enrolled 200 pregnant mothers living in poverty and tracked the lives of their children.  By late adolescence, 50 percent of the group qualified for a psychiatric diagnosis and almost half of the children displayed behavioral problems at school on one occasion.  By 6^th grade, 14 percent of these children met the criteria for attention-deficit disorder.

Research shows the likelihood of a baby, in any socio economic group, having attention-deficit disorder is 8 percent, 6 percent lower than the study group.  The data shows a higher likelihood of children in poverty stricken areas to develop attention deficit disorder; however, no evidence suggests neurological anomalies at birth, I.Q, or infant temperament can successfully measure  the likelihood for attention deficit disorder.  Alan Srofue, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development writes,

The illusion that children’s behavior problems can be cured with drugs prevents us as a society from seeking the more complex solutions that will be necessary. Drugs get everyone — politicians, scientists, teachers and parents — off the hook. Everyone except the children, that is.  If drugs, which studies show work for four to eight weeks, are not the answer, what is? Many of these children have anxiety or depression; others are showing family stresses. We need to treat them as individuals.

Do you think prescription drugs are the answer for attention deficit disorder symptoms?
For more information, visit Children’s ADD Drugs Don’t Work Long Term, No Long-Term Benefit of ADHD Meds, and ADHD Drugs Don't Help Children Long Term

To do lists are a great way to add focus.  Do the important tasks first and take things one step at a time.  This will make sure that the stuff you need to get done is accomplished first.

It’s never too late to learn something new.  Picking up a new hobby is a great way to take your mind off your problems and add some excitement into your life

Expressing yourself is a great stress reliever.  When you’re stressed, call or write a friend or family member.  Tell them about your feelings.  You can even start a blog. 

Physical activity relieves mental and physical tension.  Try to engage yourself in physical activity each day.  This lowers your risk of depression and loss of mental functions. 

They say laughter is the best medicine.  Try to find something to make you laugh every day.  When you’re feeling stressed, read a funny comic or watch a funny movie and laugh your problems away. 

In many cases, stress can be avoided by simply planning out your day in advance.  When you have a long list of tasks to-do try and pace yourself.  Do not try to accomplish everything in the last minute. 

We tend to exaggerate the importance of things when they go wrong.  At the end of the day, today’s problems probably won’t be a big deal tomorrow.  . 

Too much alcohol, caffeine, or cigarettes can increase your stress.  Limiting your consumption of these can go a long way in improving your health and reducing your stress. 

Try to get between six to eight hours of sleep every night.  If you’re restless in bed, increase your physical activity during the day.  This may help you improve the quality of your sleep. 

Giving back to the community helps you feel connect to others and helps build yourself esteem.  Go out and make new friends.  Helping others helps you.

ADD Drugs

There are currently 3 million children in the United States who take medication for attention deficit disorder.   Over the past 30 years, drugs consumption for attention-deficit disorder has increased twentyfold.  At the end of 2011, a shortage of drugslike Ritalin and Adderall caused parents to panic because they believed these drugs were vital to their child’s ability to function.  Were these fears justified?

There is indisputable evidence that attention-deficit disorder drugs are effective in the short-term, but the long term success of these drugs is questionable.  A child’s body begins to adapt to attention deficit disorder drugs after a few weeks when common side effects like loss of appetite and sleepiness begin to subside.  After a while, a child’s body begins to develop a tolerance to the attention-deficit disorder drugs, limiting its effectiveness.  When the parents decide to take the child off attention-deficit disorder drugs, the child’s body has become dependent on these drugs and their behavior tends to worsen.  Parents routinely associate these behavioral outbreaks as a sign the medication is effective, but the response is due to the body’s dependency similar to irritability after quitting smoking.

 

In 2009, a study published its finding after studying 600 with attention deficit disorder split into 4 groups.  The study divided the groups by

1.      Receiving medication alone
2.      Receiving cognitive behavioral therapy alone
3.      Receiving medication and therapy
4.      Receiving nothing (control group)

The study initially saw children receiving medication perform better, but after 8 years there was no evidence suggesting that medication produced any academic or behavioral benefits.  To date, there is no credible study that has found any long-term benefits from taking attention-deficit disorder medication in terms of academic performance, peer relationships, or behavioral problems.

Neuroscience shows children with attention-deficit disorders possess brain abnormalities, supporting the theory that attention deficit disorder is an inborn brain malfunction; however, we do not know if the cause of these abnormalities occurred at birth or through experiences.   In 1975, a study enrolled 200 pregnant mothers living in poverty and tracked the lives of their children.  By late adolescence, 50 percent of the group qualified for a psychiatric diagnosis and almost half of the children displayed behavioral problems at school on one occasion.  By 6^th grade, 14 percent of these children met the criteria for attention-deficit disorder.

Research shows the likelihood of a baby, in any socio economic group, having attention-deficit disorder is 8 percent, 6 percent lower than the study group.  The data shows a higher likelihood of children in poverty stricken areas to develop attention deficit disorder; however, no evidence suggests neurological anomalies at birth, I.Q, or infant temperament can successfully measure  the likelihood for attention deficit disorder.  Alan Srofue, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development writes,

The illusion that children’s behavior problems can be cured with drugs prevents us as a society from seeking the more complex solutions that will be necessary. Drugs get everyone — politicians, scientists, teachers and parents — off the hook. Everyone except the children, that is.  If drugs, which studies show work for four to eight weeks, are not the answer, what is? Many of these children have anxiety or depression; others are showing family stresses. We need to treat them as individuals.

Do you think prescription drugs are the answer for attention deficit disorder symptoms?
For more information, visit Children’s ADD Drugs Don’t Work Long Term, No Long-Term Benefit of ADHD Meds, and ADHD Drugs Don't Help Children Long Term

ADD Misdiagnosis

There are 900,000 cases of misdiagnosed attention-deficit disorder according to a study by Todd Elder.  Elder’s study, published in the Journal of Health Economics, looked at a child’s age in comparison to his peers to measure the likelihood of an attention-deficit disorder diagnosis.  Elder states, “If a child is behaving poorly, if he's inattentive, if he can't sit still, it may simply be because he's 5 and the other kids are 6". 

Elder used a sample of nearly 12,000 children to examine if age plays a role in the diagnosis and medication rates between the oldest and youngest children in each grade.  He determined a child’s age using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort where he compared the children’s birthdates with the school’s cut-off date for that grade level.  His research found that the youngest children were 60 percent more likely to receive an attention-deficit disorder diagnosis than the oldest children in that same grade level.  The youngest children were also twice as likely to be prescribed stimulants. 

Studies like this highlight that we still have a long way to go in identifying and treating attention-deficit disorder.  I am personally shocked that a teacher’s opinion on whether or a not a child has attention-deficit disorder plays such a big role in diagnosis.  I think this reminds us that even experts can make mistakes so it is important to remember to seek second opinions and consider environmental factors before prescribing drugs to children.   

Introduction to ADHD

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavior problem for children in America.  The advanced form of attention deficit disorder is attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).  Estimates suggest that 3 to 5 percent of all children suffer from signs of ADHD such as reduced attentiveness and concentration, excessive activity, distractibility, and impulsiveness.  That’s one child for every classroom in the country. 

Steven Kurtz, senior director of ADHD and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Center, believes it is best to think of ADHD in three sections.  The first section is the inability to pay attention, second section is for hyperactivity, and the third section is for impulsivity.  A child who lacks the ability to pay attention, but is not hyperactive or impulsive is defined as a child with ADD.  To clarify, ADD refers to the inability to pay attention during boring or repetitive tasks.  A child with ADD should have no trouble focusing on things that excite them such as a video game or movie. 

ADHD is a disorder of the brain.  Research has been able to identify differences in people with and without ADHD through brain scans, but scientists are still learning about the causes of ADHD.  Here are a few common ADHD misconceptions according to PBS.com:

ADHD is caused by poor parenting- There is no evidence to suggest ADHD is caused by poor parents, but inconsistent or overly harsh parenting can amplify symptoms. 

Quiet kids can’t have ADHD-

ADHD is primarily associated with loud, hyperactive, behavior but one type of ADHD is an inattentive type.  Children with this type of ADHD are often quiet and inattentive because they are too lost in their own world. This form of ADHD is more common with females.

ADHD is not a real disease; it’s just an excuse for kids’ bad behavior- ADHD has been studied for over 100 years.  ADHD is a legitimate brain disorder, which affects how people process and organizes information and manages impulses.