My Child Has Been Diagnosed With ADD, Now What? - The first steps after diagnosis

When my son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, I felt a plethora of mixed emotions:

relief, remorse, fear,disappointment or frustration.

You may feel the same way. But whatever you feel, do not forget that your child's situation is not out of control.

There are a number of ways in which you can help your child use his talents, and deal with ADD.

The first and most important step is to learn all you can about ADD/ADHD and to educate yourself about all the treatment options.In this way you can make an educated decision and will not fall prey to the myths and misinformation that is so rife.

You would also become more aware of the popular treatments, and be more prepared to face what might come next. It should also be helpful in preparing you to work with the doctor for managing the disorder successfully. This blog as well as the links on the right hand side of the blog are a great way to start. You can also get the 2 free reports about ADD here.

Deciding to medicate your child or not is an entirely personal one. According to some parents, being able to provide their children with means to lead a normal life is the best opportunity that they can give.

But, for others,as was the was for me (and thousands of others) medication is not a good choice. However, no matter what you decide, you should be sure of it and well informed about your choice.

You need to be aware of the variety of treatment options available, and even if your child is taking medication, some behavior modification techniques, properly and consistently implemented will make a positive difference in your child's behavior and academic performance.

These prepare your child with lasting skills to provide them with help in becoming efficient and productive. The strategies for your child's actions and the consequences should be set by you.

My son with ADHD responded best to well defined limits set on his actions and consistent discipline. This wasn't (and isn't ) always easy, but it's well worth the additional effort it takes.

Remember, that as the parent, you are your child's best supporter, and must encourage him every step of the way.

Work as a team with your child's doctor and teachers to ensure steady progress in all the key areas of your child's life.

And most importantly accept, love and cherish this unique human being.

Build his self-esteem and focus on the positive things he does.

Join a good support group and reach out to other parents who have been through what you are now experiencing.There are many excellent forums and discussion groups on the internet and you are sure to learn a lot from the experiences of others.

And don't loose heart. Having ADD or ADHD, whilst certainly a challenge , is not the end of the world.

In fact, it's the beginning of a new and exciting future for your child. One where he can become the unique, talented and wonderful human being he was born to be.

10 Ways To Increase Your Child's Attention Span - Part 5

10 Ways To Increase Your Child's Attention Span - Part 5

Tip # 5

Use brainwave entrainment to focus and calm the child down. This is a powerful way to calm down an entire class at once and is a very useful tool for teachers.

Parents can use it at home as well, to help a hyperactive child to calm down and focus on tasks like homework or studying.

Brainwave Entrainment is almost like rewiring the brain to function at it's peak capacity. An ADD Child's brain is very low in Beta Brainwaves - This is the brainwave pattern in which we are alert and can concentrate and focus easily. It is almost as if they are in a sort of 'mental-fog'

Listening to a brainwave entrainment CD helps to increase the Beta Brainwave Pattern and makes the child more alert, increases their attention span and allows them to remain focused on the tasks at hand.

Best of all, brainwave entrainment is simple and easy to use. No specialized knowledge or fancy equipment needed. All the child has to do is listen to a special audio soundtrack once or twice a day.

To find out more click the blue link below:
attention deficit disorder treatment

10 Ways To Improve Your Child's Attention Span - Part 4

10 Ways To Improve Your Child's Attention Span - Part 4

Tip #4

Discover Your Child’s Learning Style.

The are 3 types of learning styles – visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

Visual learners absorb information best through the sense of vision and do best learning through books, videos etc. They need to see something in order to fully and easily understand it.

Auditory learners learn best by hearing the information. Oral instructions, lectures, audio books etc. are all good choices with

this type of learner.

Kinesthetic Learners learn best through movement and doing. Most (but not all) ADD/ADHD children fall into this category.

Movement and ‘doing’ need to be incorporated

Into their learning if they are to reach their full potential.

Traditional Schools cater mainly to visual and auditory learners. Kinesthetic learning requires much more time and e

effort on the part of the teacher and many of these types of learners are deemed slow or learning disabled, when the only thing ‘wrong’ with them is their learning style.

Finding out and understanding your child’s learning style will go a long way to helping him to unlock the dormant potential within.

10 Ways To Improve Your ADD Child's Attention Span -Part 3

10 Ways To Improve Your ADD Child's Attention Span -Part 3

Tip #3

Enroll your Child in a martial Arts Class. Learning Martial has a number of benefits for the child:

· It increases a child’s self-esteem by empowering them to defend themselves if the need arises,

· It is a skill that is highly regarded amongst the child’s peers

· It improves physical co-ordination

· It teaches respect for others

· And it burns off some of the excess physical energy that the child has.

10 Ways To Improve Your ADD Child's Attention Span - Part 2

10 Ways To Improve Your ADD Child's Attention Span - Part 2

Limit TV & Video Games to no more than an hour a day on weekdays and 2 hours a day on weekends. Eliminate any violent programming or games as far as possible, as these encourage the development of violent tendencies.

10 Ways To Improve Your ADD Child's Attention Span - Part 1.

10 Ways To Improve Your ADD Child's Attention Span - Part 1.

Lack of focus, poor concentration and short attention spans are core symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. 'He doesn't listen' or 'He doesn't pay attention' are common complaints voiced about the ADD child.

What can you as a parent or teacher do to help the ADD Child focus and pay attention. In this 10 part series I will be discussing 10 simple ways to Increase an ADD Child's Attention Span.

Tip #1
Start each day with a healthy breakfast that is high in protein and low in refined carbohydrates.
That means that sugar coated breakfast cereals and donuts are out!!
Smoothies made with low fat milk/yogurt and fruit, cheese on wholewheat toast, eggs etc are better alternatives. These foods provide the brain with what it needs to function at it's peak.
Studies have shown that kids who ate breakfast regularly demonstrated significantly higher reading and math scores, lower levels of hyperactivity, better school attendance, had longer attention spans and fewer behavioral problems than those who didn't eat breakfast.

Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms - The major ADD symptoms you need to look out for -Part 3 & 4

Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms - The major ADD symptoms you need to look out for -Part 3 & 4

The third major symptom of Attention-Deficit-Disorder or Attention-Deficit-Hyperactive-Disorder is Impulsiveness.

The ADD/ADHD child or adult is very impulsive, often acting without thinking. This frequently lands them into all sorts of trouble. They have no regard for the consequences of their misbehavior, making this type of child especially difficult to discipline. They forget repeated warnings and even punishments for certain behavior and repeat them again.

A child with ADD requires special discipline, because conventional methods don't work for them. In later blog posts I will be sharing some effective parenting strategies.

The last Tell-tale clue is lack of follow through. People with ADD/ADHD are famous for leaving a string of uncompleted tasks in their wake. They may start dozens of projects and tasks but rarely complete any of them. The reason for this is that their brain cannot stay focused on one task for long and as their thoughts flit from one thing to the next, they follow.

This lack of follow through can prove to be a great handicap in adult life and needs to be remedied as soon as possible.

One of the best solutions to this is to increase the brain' s ability to focus and to increase the impulse control. One of the best & easiest ways to do this is brainwave entrainment.
Brainwave Entrainment literally re-programs the brain to function in a more effective and efficient manner and regular use can dramatically reduce ADD symptoms.

For more information go to The Calm Kids Program