Action Plan Help
Actions and Steps
Parents are often overwhelmed with all the choices and information available to them regarding treatment for their child and they often express that they feel they don't know where to start and need help with putting a plan of action in place. As previously mentioned, a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to treatment that is individualized is what works best in the long run. Lifes difficulties are rarely due to a single organic cause or respond to a single solution.
With that in mind, over the child's lifetime you will gather a team of support that will possibly include specialists such as paediatricians, audiologists, psychologists, speech therapists etc - depending on your child's specific problems. However, somebody needs to be overseer and in control of such a support network - to make important decisions and plans for everyone involved in your child's life, and ideally this should be the parents/primary carers. This is why it is important that parents educate themselves as much as they can - so they can make better informed decisions.
The following is only meant to be a general guide as obviously, without individual assessments and testing, it is impossible to suggest a plan that would be relevant for every child. Nonetheless we feel the information is helpful in terms of what to do and where to go. One of the services we provide is to help people access information about specialists from the various treatment approaches - just email us with your queries and give your contact phone number so we can call you, usually within 2-3 days.
The following 3 action steps we recommend for all families
ACTION 1
It's important to always eliminate possible physical causes of your child's problems first. Make sure your child has a thorough checkup by a doctor who knows him/her best (especially with knowledge of prior medical history, accidents etc). Ideally this would be your long-term family doctor or a trusted paediatrician. Pay particular attention to the ears, especially if there is a history of ear infections, tonsillitis etc.. Many children who have had these kinds of problems will often present with auditory processing difficulties. It's a good idea to have them assessed for this by an audiologist, even if regular ear testing comes up fine.
The eyes are of equal importance, and again regular eye health and testing will pick up problems with sight and general eye health but not underlying problems such as trouble with eye tracking etc. We suggest getting a thorough eye assessment with a Behavioural Optometrist. In your medical checkup pay attention also to possible allergic sensitivities (seek testing if suspected), general health and diet or endocrine problems such as thyroid disorder. If a child has had a bad fall, bike or car accident, traumatic birth etc, it may be a good idea to visit a neurologist to rule out possible damage to the brain - particularly the frontal lobe of the brain which governs behaviour. These kids may also benefit from having their spinal alignment at least checked, as this can affect brain function - however this needs to be with a specialist who has extensive experience in children's chiropractic.
ACTION 2
We suggest that you take your child to a nutritional medicine doctor and have him/her assessed for toxins (in particular heavy metals), gut and digestive health status, and for nutrient deficiencies prior to starting them on vitamins and supplements - that way you find out specifically what your child needs. At the same time you can obtain information from these doctors on how to clean up your child's diet (and the rest of the family's!),maybe even implementing a temporary elimination diet. Remember to stack everything in your child's favour. A low additive, as-close-to-nature-as-possible, clean diet should be the foundation for all children.
There are great resources available to help you with this stage See our recommended reading and links. In terms of supplementation, it's a good idea to give your child a good quality omega 3 fish oil, with a high ratio of EPA to DHA at around 3:1. Check for this before purchasing an Omega 3 suppliment and also that it has been tested for presence of heavy metals. Research has shown that fatty acids play an important role in brain and eye development such as memory, concentration and learning ability. To avoid 'fishy' aftertaste simply keep in the fridge. For those who don't like fish, an organic flaxseed oil is a good alternative.
In line with the global movement of living 'greener' it makes sense for all of us to clean the home environment of potentially harmful chemicals by using natural, safer cleaning products, home renovation products etc. Some children are adversely affected by toxins and chemicals in the home - for others, general health and well being are compromised.
ACTION 3
Identify the child's main problem areas so you can bring in the necessary interventions and help you need to address the issues. The main areas would be emotional status/social relationships (behaviour), and academic/school issues. For example, your child may be behaviourally fine but struggling to keep up with schoolwork or reading. Therefore it is very important to have such a child thoroughly assessed by someone who specializes in learning problems. Ideally, that person would assess for specific difficulties in learning so that a program can be put in place.
It's also important to find out how you child learns best - i.e. their individual learning style, which for kids diagnosed with ADD and Learning Disabilities , is often different to mainstream. It's best to go to those organizations/individuals who have had a lot of experience tutoring and teaching these children labeled ADD or LD. A child with these problems may also require treatment from a Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist(who will assess for poorly integrated sensory motor problems), and may need counselling if self esteem and social life are affected.
On the other hand if for example, a child is not struggling academically, is bright although poorly focused, and behaviour is a problem, initially more emphasis may be placed on the need for psychotherapy e.g. cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychology, social skills building workshops, and workshops for parents to learn how to better deal with problem behaviour. A learning assessment, possibly incorporating extension work, would be valuable for a child like this especially if they seem 'bored' at school, but maybe not as a first step. Treatment to improve focus, such as neurofeedback may also be implemented.
Have a family discussion and work out the different problems/issues and list them in order of priority in terms of how they are impacting the child's and family's life. Once you do this, our support group can offer you information on accessing services if you need help.
The following are options/ideas to consider that may or may not be relevent depending upon you child's unique problems.
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Make a good, honest assessment of the family environment. The home environment can have a huge impact on learning and in particular behaviour. Questions to ask yourself may include - Is your home often chaotic and even unpredictable?. Is there order in the family routine especially with regards to your children's rountines?.
How healthy are the relationships between all family members?- pay attention to the family dynamics. Has there been divorce, sickness, depression, unavailability of a parent, major money problems, substance abuse, domestic abuse etc? How is the family communicating (or not communicating) with each other ?. How are the stress levels of individual family members and of the household in general? Do you feel you need help with staying calm and controlling your reactions, particularly when dealing with your child? If you feel that the home environment needs help, read some books and seek professional advice from a family (or individual) psychologist/counselor.
- Make a similar assessment of your child's school environment. Pay attention in particular to things such as classroom structure( is the classroom chaotic, or cluttered?) and routine, level of support given to your child, social relationships and the teachers 'teaching style' versus your child's learning style. Some books give great advice and practical strategies for helping your child at school - your child's specialists can also assist with this, often in the form of written reports and recommendations for the school to implement.
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For parents dealing with difficult behaviour, we recommend you read books for tips on dealing with such behaviour and getting a better understanding as to why your child is acting the way they are. It's often very helpful and empowering to attend courses that teach more positive ways of handling a child who is being difficult. Psychologists specializing in children and adolescents can give you insight and ideas to help you with specific challenges. It's important to learn conflict resolution and problem solving strategies (so your child can learn them too). A simple process for resolving conflict is as follows:
- Consider what is really behind the problem.
- The persons involved in the conflict should list all the solutions they can think of, even the ones that seem silly.
- Think of all the advantages and disadvantages of each solution (write them down).
- Choose the best solution.
- Try the solution and then review it later.
Head to the Move to Learn website. This is a great website for information on physical movement and how body (co-ordination, developmental delays etc) can affect learning and behaviour - or more accurately, how these physical signs can be an indication that brain and body are not working effectively as one (poorly integrated sensory motor system). Children can be assessed for these problems and a fun and targeted movement program can build neural pathways in the brain to improve learning and attention and aid development. This information is particularly beneficial for those children who are struggling academically and are exhibiting gross and fine motor problem (e.g. balance and coordination, pencil grip) in conjunction with learning or behaviour problems.
Another great feature of this website is a questionnaire profile which is located on the Home page and is designed to help parents work out where their child's main problem areas are (e.g. food intolerance, sight, language development etc) thereby allowing them to work out a targeted plan of action.
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