Quiver0f10 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I am thinking my 12 yo might be ADHD but I haven't had him evaluated. What natural things can I do to help him before we go the eval/med route? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I am thinking my 12 yo might be ADHD but I haven't had him evaluated. What natural things can I do to help him before we go the eval/med route? I would start with three major things. I would get him on good omegas, remove all dies and preservatives from food along with possibly removing all sweets except honey and get my home as chemically free as possible. The omegas are pretty simple. The diet change simply means you start making things from scratch and don't eat out. Maybe you do that already. Removing grains is good also. This was imperative for us. The chemically free means no perfumes/cologns, using cleaning/laundry products that are natural, going to natural clothes and bedding, when painting use zero voc. The list can go on but the easy way is to simply change those things as you purchase new. For cleaning I use a lot of white vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen proxide. If you want more details on any of these email me at mom4him48 at yahoo.com It can be done but it isn't for the faint at heart. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Generally speaking, they do not work. [sorry to disappoint you.] (This observation comes from a family that truly has tried everything out there, with both adult and children) The "no dyes" diet (I'm blanking out on who founded that movement) is effective for only a very small percentage of ADHD people. That said, however, adding Omega-3 to ones daily diet can help to some extent; plus, it is very important for overall health in the first place. There are several "medical quality" brands on the market. Very important, though, is that an evaluation be made before starting a child on any natural substance (just in case the substance does have an effect on your particular child) You need "clean data" for a doctor to make a "best accuracy" diagnosis. Whether you choose to medicate or not is up to you, and depends upon the individual child and severity of the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmac Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 We have seen very good results with taking artificial dyes and flavors out of my sons diet. We also eat organic, use very little chemicals and avoid gluten. Good luck with whatever you decide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29087&highlight=natural+ADHD Here's a previous thread above. Natural methods: Get OT for any sensory processing issues. Chewing gum (gives constant muscle-joint input, which is calming to the neurological system and oral focus increases attention) Incorporate heavy physical exercise as breaks frequently throughout the day (10 min. playing basketball, bike riding, jogging, tag, climbing trees, etc.) Incorporate frequent outdoor time into a day Fish oil (Omegabrites) Choline (you can get enough in two egg yolks) Protein at every meal and as part of a snack every couple hours Improving working memory (Try Brainware Safari for $49 from Homeschool Buyers' Coop. There is another $$ product on the market called Cogmed. Though it's expensive, it's the only product on the market with double-blind studies published in a peer-reviewed journal.) Get enough sleep. Google Additude magazine. It has good natural tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juls Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Look into Interactive Metronome. We saw many lasting improvements from IM, especially in the area of impulsive behavior and social skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 The evaluation route doesn't have to go hand-in-hand with the med route if you don't want it to.But it will give you and your child some direction and certainty. But, in terms of what meds do for a brain, there IS no natural alternative for meds. There may be things he can take that will reduce symptoms or that may deal with ADD-like symptoms but it's likely that if some diet adjustment elminates symptoms then you guys weren't dealing with ADD in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in Toronto Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 My 14 yo son is not clinically ADHD but is extremely distractible. We have found that caffeine definitely helps him to focus, and he now makes a moccachino in the morning (1/2 strong coffee, 1/2 goat milk, some chocolate syrup) and has a can of coke(!) in his bag lunch at school. (I am officially the "cool" mom as his school has no soft drinks available.) This is not ideal in terms of nutrition, but the benefits have been measurable. We do not do caffeine on non-school days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Thank you all, I appreciate the ideas and information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Don't forget dairy can be a big problem also. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 You might want to look into Attend. I'm getting ready to try it out for one of my ADHD'ers. I've heard good things about it from others who have used it. It has a mixture of all those things recommended (Omega 3's, etc.) and also has 5HTP. http://newideas.net/attend.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 You might want to look into Dr. Bock's book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders (Paperback) He has alot of information in this book about naturals and dietary interventions for ADHD. http://www.amazon.com/Healing-New-Childhood-Epidemics-Groundbreaking/dp/0345494512/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244320308&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Look into Interactive Metronome. We saw many lasting improvements from IM, especially in the area of impulsive behavior and social skills. We are getting ready to start IM for our 7 yo and possibly our 13 yo. I have heard good things about it, so I am hoping we will see some good results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Thanks again for the suggestions and links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildflower Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 :iagree: so much good advice above. cutting the diet down to fruits veg's and natural meats (free of hormones/ antibiotics) for a few weeks will make all the difference for everyone. i had to do this for different reasons winter of 2007 & what a difference it made for everyone in our house- my & DD1s asthma went away! it's amazing what is in food that causes problems for kids and adults! hope things get better for you and family & that you can all look back and say 'wow that was easy'. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Protein breakfast. Try just eggs, no sugar or any other carbs, and see what happens. I found that a protein breakfast is just about as good as Ritalin. Of course my almost 13yo is now eating a protein breakfast *and* taking stimulant medication. But we managed for years with just the protein breakfast. Other things to try: Omega 3s, lots of exercise, tweaking the schedule, coffee (is this natural?), visual timer (if he is pokey). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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