Is your child one of 2.5 million children on ADHd psychostimulant medication? As we are now faced with an epidemic, parents are asking what are the alternative treatments for ADHD. The alternative treatments range from:
Parental support and guidance
School support with assistance from the teacher
Behaviour and cognitive therapies.
Diet And Nutrition
Exercise and 'Green Activities'
Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies.
As regards parental support many centres in the UK offer training for parents and help them to cope with ADHD children. Some of these parents suffer from ADHD themselves as the genetic link has been proved to be statistically significant. These courses are then doubly informative and useful. In reflecting about what are the alternative treatments for ADHD, parents are often ignorant or less aware about how important their behaviour at home and how the child is observing the parents very closely. Parents are a role model whether they like it or not !
Parents are taken through all the strategies for successful parenting skills which usually include the following:
Setting the rules and making clear to all the children in the family where the boundaries are. Both parents and all the kids agree to sign up to the rules. Organising activities and setting time limits and establishing a routine. Children (if they are old enough) are consulted about changes in routine. Study areas are chosen carefully (not the kitchen which is a traffic congested area !). Rewards for good behaviour are known and applied and any infringements result in withdrawal of privileges rather than 'punishment' in the old fashioned sense. Parents are briefed on helping with homework and on how to break down any task the child has to do into manageable chunks.
When parents think of what are the alternative treatments for ADHD, they usually think in terms of treatment,diet and perhaps parenting skills. The school environment is not regarded as an alternative treatment which is a pity as the child will spend a great part of his life there. Parents should check with the teacher that the following things are done, without seeming to interfere. Seating is very important and the child should be near the teacher (not at the back of the room!) but also near well-behaved children who can be role models in a way. Routines are well established so there is a good mix of high and low level energy activities. The teacher will help the child in breaking down project and homework tasks into shorter units. Flexibility should be built into testing so that oral and written options are available depending on which one the child is best at.
As regards herbal and homeopathic remedies in examining what are the alternative treatments for ADHD, parents should look for the following criteria before following a treatment plan. Who are the people running the company ? They should be qualified practitioners and /or homeopaths and the facility should be a registered FDA one which guarantees that quality controls and standardized procedures are followed. Are there testimonials available and how long the company has been in existence will also need to be looked into. A company which fulfils all and much more than these is in the link below this article.
Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children's Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.
Discover what ADHD Alternative Therapy is available.
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