drug free attention difficulties support

Drug Free Options

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• Points to Consider for Non-Drug approaches
• Treatments Must Match the Cause

Alternative Approaches

• Sight & Hearing
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech Therapy
• Exercise
• Diet
• Education & Learning Styles
• Neuro-biofeedback
• Trauma Counselling
• Social Skills Training
• Parenting Skills & Family Counselling
• Meditation & Relaxation Techniques
• Toxins & Auditory Processing
• Other Treatments

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Diet

Like physical exercise a balanced, healthy diet is essential for the wellbeing of any child. In simple terms "you are what you eat" however there are four specific questions that need to be answered:

• Water

  Especially in school hours many children forget to drink enough water, or worse still temporarily quench their thirst with diuretics like Coke and other soft drinks. Dehydration is a major cause of poor concentration, headaches and poor behaviour.

  A strategy such as allowing children to keep bottled water on their school desk can lead to a marked improvement in classroom behaviour and concentration.

• Balanced Healthy Diet

  Children cannot function properly without a decent breakfast, healthy meals and snacks for fuel to see them through the day. This doesn't require an obsessive approach to diet but a balanced approach to observing the commonsense principles of the five food groups in the food pyramid.

  Learning which foods that are helpful in boosting brain function (i.e.) those known as 'brain food' can be of benefit for all children.

• Additives & Preservatives

  Modern foods contain chemicals that the human body has not evolved to deal with. Many are harmless, however many are not. Australia is lagging the world in labelling and banning some harmful preservatives and additives.

  A guide to identifying additives and preservatives that contribute to poor concentration, hyperactivity and other health and behavioural problems is available at www.additivealert.com.au and more information is available at www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info

• Allergies

  Some children have allergic reactions and sensitivities to normally healthy foods. In rare cases extreme allergies to foods like peanuts can be fatal, however it is far more common that children have sensitivities to normal foodstuffs that impair their general health and concentration - e.g. lactose intolerance.

  Helpful information is available at www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info including specific strategies to deal with additives, preservatives and allergies include, allergy testing and elimination diets to expose any food allergies/intolerances.

Diet Supplementation

Just like prescription drugs, dietary supplements can have adverse side effects. A cautious common-sense approach needs to be taken with any dietary supplements.

• Fish Oil

  There is emerging evidence that fish (particularly oily fish like salmon, tuna and sardines which are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids) really is brain food. Even otherwise healthy diets often have inadequate intakes of omega 3 and other essential fatty acids.

  Children who are not getting enough essential fatty acids in their diets risk inattention and behaviour problems. Many children would benefit from fish oil tablets however there can be too much of a good thing and exceeding recommended intake can be harmful.

  Information is available at www.omega3oils.info

• Vitamin & Mineral Supplements

  A healthy diet consisting of wholesome 'fresh' produce should prevent the need for supplementation. However, processed and non-fresh produce can lose its nutritional value and some individuals are unable to get sufficient nutrition from a normally healthy diet.

  Vitamin and mineral supplements can be of use in these circumstances, although care needs to be taken as vitamin and mineral overloads can have adverse affects. Before using vitamin and minerals, professional advice should be sought.