ADD/ ADHD - Sick of the stereotypes

ciniful - after a whole bunch of reading I found that there is a HUGE correlation of diet with adhd. I am glad to explain it all to you if you want. When I read your comment you reminded me of me a few years ago - because I said exactly what you are saying... people blame adhd on everything but what it is. If you want, email me at ask.lori@yahoo.com and I will gladly throw some links to you which will show you the compelling research.

In addition to the chemical imbalance, yes there can be dietary issues ... my claim that I keep trying to explain to people is that it is not the cause of an ADD diagnosis, and simpy rearranging a diet or excluding certain foods is not going to magically cure the child. I'm tired of that stereotype, more than I could explain. Which is why I keep pointing out to people the indepth dietary testing children here are required to go through before a psychologist will even bother with an assessment for ADD/ADHD. Aside from ADD altogether, some children react badly to certain foods, elements, etc, as you've pointed out .. my only point in disputing it over and over again is that it is not the cause of ADD, nor is every ADD child prone to these issues. Discovered the red food dye issue years ago with my nephew, who my sister was sure was ADD, without a diagnosis. Dietary testing showed otherwise. With my daughter it was the opposite. But thank you for the offer :)

I agree, but I don't necessarily blame the poor parenting cases. The problem is the school systems. In the last decade, they have been so quick to push parents of children they considered 'problem kids' to seek an ADD diagnosis. Any child that presented the least amount of problems was immediately classified as a potential ADD case. It's more a case of lazy teaching than lazy parenting in this case. And with the overabundance in the school system, it did start to discredit the genuine cases. Look at a few posts in this thread, for example .. people immediately blaming diet, instead of recognizing that genuine cases have nothing to do with what the child is eating. *sigh* Which was precisely my purpose for starting this discussion. But in general you're right .. the more false ADD diagnoses for children who are simply hyperactive, lacking proper parenting or lacking proper teaching, the harder it is for genuine ADD children to be seen as needing help, and the harder it is for parents of these kids to not be judged fairly.

Anytime sweetie. Sometimes it helps just to know there are others out there in the same boat? Your daughter will probably grow up to be a famous artist! Never know! God Bless.

Thanks for the response. And it sounds like there are a bunch of very observant people who are handlng your grandson :) We did the same with our daughter. She loves to create ... coloring, drawing, beadwork .. crafts of several natures. Knowing this was her strength, we focussed more on it and allowed her extra time to just sit and color. She seemed more focussed during this time than any other. And you're right, there are always people that are quick to pass out judgements without having a clue, no matter what the topic is. Thanks again :)

I think what your child's school should have said is "we can't figure out how to teach this child" because it is surely nuts of them to make such a bold statement that your child can't learn. How bogus! I am not trying to convince you to go on the meds but they have been a life-saver for us and for my son. But, as I said previously, we didn't have a choice - my son was so severe he needed the drastic and immediate help which meds give. Plus, we weren't willing to allow him to flounder so much under the care of a teacher who can't figure out how to accommodate him in a classroom. We didn't trust he would get the help from them. Best of luck to you!!

No you're right, the school doesn't have the authority to choose not to teach a child based on their opinions of what the child needs and doesn't need medically. We were much the same. Our daughter had major issues last year, causing her grades to drastically fall. This was before she was diagnosed. Once we realized what was going on with her, it made it much easier to relate to her. We were able to reach her more often just by recognizing the issue, that she wasn't simply disobedient, and wasn't trying to be difficult. Once the school got involved and understood the same things, her behavior and her grades have shown drastic improvement. Thanks for the response :)

I agree with you completely. I've tried remaining calm and explaining to people my side of it. I have 5 kids. Only one had these problems. I raised them all the same way, yet my other 4 have no problems in school, are calm and well mannered kids. Stands to reason that if it were my parenting, that my other 4 would exhibit the same traits as my daughter. They don't get it. I've always found it funny that people with little knowledge on the subject can feel justified in passing out judgement on parents. First they need to live with one of these children to have any idea what they're talking about. Thanks for the response :)

Here, Here! And, some of the most hurtful comments can be from the people in our lives who should be the most supportive! Like family and education professionals!!!

This is precisely what we're talking about, by the way, ignorance of the actual issue making judgements. Just so you're aware, before a diagnosis of ADD is given, dietary tests are done. So are hearing and vision tests. After all of those options are dismissed, only then is an ADD diagnosis considered, and then handed out by a qualified professional, usually a child psychologist. ADD and ADHD are hormonal imbalances. They have nothing whatsoever to do with diet. Please, please, PLEASE learn the actual information before you presume to offer advice to those with more experience in an issue you quite obviously know little about.

Cutting down on sugar (or even cutting it out completely) may reduce hyperactivity, but in persons whose brain is wired differently (as is the case with ADD, where a lot of the attention filters are missing) it doesn't always come down to a sugar issue. I've had days where I'm feeling pretty hyper and I haven't had anything to eat in hours. ANYTHING. Which means I'm certainly not on a sugar rush! Half the time I get hyper when I'm on a sugar low, and eating something (usually something with carbs) will calm me down. Cutting carbs down drasticly is really only likely to make things worse, as the brain then doesn't have the energy it needs. I know there's some nutritional advise for people with ADD, but I can't remember what it was off the top of my head. I know it wasn't "Cut all sugar and most carbs from your diet." Oh, and I'm speaking from my experience of having ADD, not from anything I may have learned in school as a Massage Therapist.

I would COMPLETELY disagree with this post!!!!!!!!! I think what you are trying to describe is an elimination diet... one which will hopefully find food allergies and sensitivities. I would edit this elimination diet a whole lot to this: (and yes, I know from experience) no artificial colors no artificial flavors no preservatives The suggestion for limited fruits is to remove salycilites from the diet. no eggs no dairy no wheat There is NO NEED to wait three months - this is completely not necessary. I am not making these statements out of personal opinion - I am using the information I have found via extensive research. But if you don't believe me, check out www.feingold.org. Sugar is NOT the root of hyperactivity. There is a TON of research available which says this notion is a misnomer. And, from my experiences with my adhd child who has a sensitivity to red 40, he gets logy from sugar, as do other adhd children, statistically. It is the event that takes place (the birthday party with the sugar-laiden cake) that makes a kid hyper, not the sugar. Like I said, there is overwhelming info out there to support my claim. If you visit Feingold.org you will find that THEY recommend you wait a matter of a few days, not three months, to reintroduce foods back into your child's diet, 1 at a time and they give you specific directions on how to do this effectively. I don't mean to step on any toes here but, like I said, I have researched this extensively and have tried and still use the Feingold Diet today - three years after I started it. If you are lucky enough to find a dietary trigger (for my son and for most kids it is at least red 40 and yellows 5 and 6) I would find every product which contains the trigger(s) and keep it out of your home, out of your child's diet. I would also ask your pediatrician the appropriate therapeutic does of omega 3 fatty acids and b-vitamins. BOTH of these supplements can provide noticible improvements in behavior. And, yes, I know this from experience as well because my child was crying out of frustration every day and, at the time, he couldn't use meds (sensory integration disorder). Also, there is extensive research about this omega 3 stuff but I would make sure you chat it out with a doc... for proper dose. Good luck!!!

And as I stated above, a proper diagnosis of ADD or ADHD is not given until dietary tests, vision tests, hearing impairment tests and psychological testing are completed. All of which my daughter went through to recieve a diagnosis of ADD. And if this is documented, by non biased and valid sources, then please feel free to provide a source. ADD is not something I'm only slightly familiar with, this is something I researched heavily before and after my daughters testing. Diet, and I'll repeat this for emphasis, has NOTHING whatsoever to do with a valid case of ADD or ADHD. Nothing. Not a little bit, not a lot, not at all. There are completely unrelated cases of diet affecting a childs behavior. This is NOT ADD.

That's fair enough. Your starter wasn't clear about how the diagnosis was reached. My words were merely cautionary, not antagonistic. However, if you are still feeding your child the likes of processed chicken nuggets, then I would recommend a change anyway. For those interested in diet/behaviour project happening now: http://www.healthandnutrition.co.uk./hffhk/pages/ARTICLES/nurseries/parentp.htm ... scroll to bottom.

Yes actually I am feeding her foods along those lines once in a while. She and my other children have a rather extensive diet, and there's little they don't eat. However they're restricted, of course, when it comes to junk food and teeth rotting snacks to 'treats' only and not a regular course, lol. And her behavior has no changes whatsoever based on those chicken nuggets either. That's all part of the dietary testing.

It sounds like your brother in law is feeling the frustration quite a bit, like so many other ADD cases. I think that's another thing people don't understand. The person who HAS it gets just as frustrated as the people who have to deal with it. They don't know why they act the way they do, or why they can't remember better than they do, or focus. My daughter has ended up in tears several times over pure frustration, just wanting to be like everyone else and not understanding why her little brain is moving too fast for her to keep up. As parents, family members and whatnot, we often have a frustrating time dealing with them and helping them, but I think it helps to remember that the frustation we feel as outsiders isn't halfway as severe as what the person carrying it feels on a permenant basis. Thanks for the response :)

Thanks for the response :) I'd like to say that it doesn't bother me, the ridiculous stereotypes, but it most defiantely does. But then, willful ignorance of ANY subject bothers me. I get completely dumbfounded when people, especially grown adults who should know better, pass judgements on other people when they don't have a clue what they're talking about. I take the time to learn about a subject before I feel qualified to form an opinion. This subject just rings closer to home I suppose, with having an ADD child in my care. And I know what you mean. :) My daughter, for all her faults that aren't her fault ... for her low concentration and high energy, is one of the most empathetic and sensitive people I know, adults included. She's an amazingly sweet little girl that I wouldn't trade for the world, ADD or otherwise.

Another post proving my point. Has your son been given an official ADD diagnosis by a qualified child psychologist or pschiatrist? I'm guessing not, because if he had, you would have been told right away that no health drink is going to hinder or hurt. It's great for his health I'm sure, but entirely ineffective when battling the chemical imbalance that constitutes ADD. I have no intention of asking you for information on a disorder you obviously know very little about. Thanks anyway.

yes he has and no i dont know alot about add bout i do know a lot of peop;e with it and Xango does help but thats up to you

Isn't that part of ADHD mind-numbing??!! I have found the thing that works with my son is to use 4x6 cards and make lists of things for him to accomplish. For example: The first card labeled in bold print: CLEAN YOUR ROOM with subtext-ed details. CLEAN YOUR ROOM 1. dirty clothes 2. clean clothes 3. books on the floor 4. toys on the floor 5. straighten desk another card... SET THE DINNER TABLE 1. plates 2. forks, spoons, knives 3. napkins 4. glasses 5. specific condiments

Then that would be on the family. ADD is a chemical imbalance that keeps the person from being able to focus on one particular thing without a lot of difficulty. Picture a tornado, whirring around like crazy going a hundred miles per hour. Welcome to the mind of an ADD child. Often medication can be used to .. slow the tornado so to speak, and allow the person to be able to focus a little more clearly. It does NOT inhibit what the person can do in the least, and should not be used as an excuse or a ticket to not function properly. It just means they have an added challenge. Easiest example I can think of. Typical statement to a typical child. Parent: Could you pick up your toys please? Child thinks about picking up toys, thinks about ways to dodge the chore, thinks about reprecussions, might pick up toys, might argue about it. Typical statement to an ADD child: Parent: Could you pick up your toys please? Child thinks about toys, thinks about the cat, thinks about yesterday, wonders about tomorrow, remembers the parent was saying something, thinks about tv, thinks about playing with her friends, spins in a circle, thinks about their hair color, wonders how many steps it is to the kitchen, wonders what their parent was saying, thinks about christmas, thinks about halloween, remembers last christmas, thinks about clothes, jumps up and down, wonders why parent is getting angry. Through the jumble of the onrush of thoughts in their heads, half the time they may not have even heard the statement to begin with. In many cases, this can be used as a reason for behavior and a reason for the inability to perform certain things like other children do. That's the key to understanding ADD. When you know what it does to a childs head, then you know how to deal with it.

Thank you! A well informed and educated response, refreshing to see. And you're quite right, we had a hard time getting her diagnosed. There were hoops to jump like you wouldn't believe. And you're right, ADD children might be very bright, it's simply a matter of their thought processes not moving as they should. My daughter is an extremely bright little girl (who is now bringing home straight A's again since her diagnosis and our new tactics in dealing with her), she simply doesn't have the focus or the concentration that a normal child would at her age. And I agree completely, I wish people could live in the situation first hand before they presume to know all about it. Thanks for the response :)

I repeat. ADD has nothing to do with diet. Case closed.

That's possible, but they don't see that. They just assume it's an easy process with an easy answer ... bad diet, bad parenting, lack of information .. as some of the responses in this discussion show quite well. It will never cease to amaze me how someone with so little information on the process could presume to know so much. Oh, give your kid a health drink, that'll stop it! Oh, they're not getting enough sleep, that'll cure them! *rolls eyes* Good luck with yours, and thanks for the response :)

ADD is never technically 'outgrown' but they do learn to handle it better on their own as they get older. It can cause major issues when they're still little and not as sure of themselves or their own problems. And on the other hand, there are some adults who still need to be on the medication in order to focus. I have a friend who's 31, the mother of 2, and she takes her aderol daily. If she misses a dose she's not the same person at all. So it really depends on the person as well and the severity.