Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a controversial diagnosed disease of adolescents that is characterized by lack of ability to focus on the task at hand, and often with a lack of ability to sit still. One cause is a lack of discipline. However, diet, lack of exercise, environmental factors, and genetic factors can be causal factors for attention problems and/or hyperactivity.

In boys, a failure to be taught properly how to read with authentic phonics can result in misdiagnoses or exaggerated diagnoses as having ADHD, autism or other conditions that are rising rapidly as illiteracy is. If a boy does not learn properly how to read, then he's likely to increasingly become a problem as he falls further and further behind.

Diagnosis

There are three common methods of diagnosing ADHD: parental observations and consultation with a healthcare provider, surveys and computer performance tests. In addition, Quantitative EEG analysis can be helpful in diagnosing ADHD.

Surveys to diagnose ADHD

Surveys do not rely on an individual's willingness to take a computer performance test, but survey questions have an element of subjectivity.

Test of variables of Attention - T.O.V.A. computer performance test

The T.O.V.A. "is an objective, neurophysiological measure of attention, not a subjective rating of behavior. It is a 21.6 minute long, very simple "computer game" that measures your responses to either visual or auditory stimuli. These measurements are then compared to the measurements of a group of people without attention disorders who took the T.O.V.A." The TOVA test measures errors of omission commonly associated with inattention and errors of commission (misidentifying a closely resembling decoy stimuli) commonly associated with hyperactivity/impulsiveness.

There are a number of websites on the internet which offer free TOVA tests.

Treatment

There are a number of non-drug cures to ADHD used by a number of health professionals and schools which have been shown to be effective and can be used in conjunction with each other. For example, the treatments of: audio-visual entrainment, nutrition, exercise, cognitive development software, neurofeedback, psychosocial training and remediation of environmental contaminants and/or removing the patient from unhealthful environmental conditions. In addition, Dr. Margolis, a pediatrician for 36 years who conducted an informal trial of Nikken magnetic products with a number of his patients with attention and behavior issues, reported positive results through the use of these specially engineered magnets.

Overuse of drug treatments

Sadly, the "treatment" that child psychiatrists, and school districts, often prescribe (or demand) involves giving the patient a large number of expensive – and possibly dangerous – drugs.

External links

Symptoms:

• Symptoms of ADHD in children - National Institute of Health

Neurofeedback:

• Beneficial outcome from EEG-neurofeedback on creative music performance, attention and well-being in school children - PubMed journal article

ADHD Diets:

• ADHD Diets