Child psychologists often use games and toys as a therapeutic tool for children with ADHD, autism, and related disorders. Games allow children to express themselves in a language they can understand, especially when they don’t know how to communicate their feelings and thoughts. Additionally, games help therapists understand the child’s behavior, perception, and ideas. At home, you can use the therapeutic power of games to help children gain social skills and attention skills. There are many expensive toys designed just for kids with ADHD, but your child can benefit from simple ones too. It’s not the game that matters – it’s how your child plays.
Fantasy play
Children between the ages 4 and 6 need fantasy toys like dolls, action figures, or stuffed animals to help them act out situations, emotions, and roles. Fantasy play is especially important for kids with ADHD because they may have a hard time expressing their fears and experiences. Your child might start by telling you about her day, only to never reach the end because she got distracted by other thoughts or stimuli. When the game is played with a parent, fantasy play helps kids to stay on track and reach a conclusion. It also teaches kids to anticipate consequences before they act. With constant practice, these skills can be translated into real life. Plan at least ten minutes of fantasy play a day with your child – any longer than this, and your child’s mind might start wandering off. Use your child’s dolls or figures to initiate the game.
Chess and checkers
Board games like chess and checkers are great for ADHD kids. They’re simple, easy to understand, and requires a bit of strategy to play, teaching your child the value of anticipating consequences. Younger kids may want to play the simpler version, Chinese checkers.
Memory games
Memory games are fantastic for improving memory and attention span. This simple game is a deck of cards with two of each design, and the objective is to match your cards with the ones that are lying face down. Select a card at random and turn it face up. If it doesn’t match the card, it’ll have to go back face down. The trick is to remember which cards have been returned so you can avoid them or pair them with matching cards. The player with the most matches win. This game can be a little frustrating, which makes it a good measure of how long your child can stay focused. For younger children, place the matching cards closer together so it will be easier for them to win.
New Medications for ADHD are always being developed. One of the newer drugs is in patch form. The patch is water resistant, and can be used by people who can not swallow a pill, such as children. It is also convenient for parents who need an extended release form for the kids at school. With the patch the school would not have to administer any medications.
Methylphenidate (amphetamine), a controlled substance is the medication used for the patch. This new ADHD medication is the same stimulant that is used in Ritalin, Concerta and Focalin. The drug is time released and delivered more slowly than pills. The medication in the patch passes through the skin and into the bloodstream instead of the digestive system. The patch does have the same side effects such as no appetite, trouble falling asleep, headaches, stomachache and tics, skin irritation or rash where the patch is placed on the body.
Some drugs marketed for other causes are trying to be passed off as a new drug for ADHD when in reality they have been on the market for years and for treating a completely different condition. The question is “Do we really need another new ADHD medication“? Especially since the thought now among ADHD experts is that ADHD does not get better as the patient gets older. ADHD in adults is growing and they experience a higher rate of unemployment, divorce, drug abuse.
With all the controversy relating to new medication for ADHD why not try something that has been just as effective and without all the problems associated with pharmacy medications. Why are we so quick to jump on the prescription route? Alternatives medicines might be your answer if you are looking for something else besides a prescription drug that can cause dependancy.
The problem with diagnosing Aspergers Syndrome is that the symptoms very often overlap with those of ADHD and misdiagnosis is quite common. Aspergers is a type of autism as some of the symptoms fit that disorder but it is reassuring to know that it is a mild form of autism caused by fundamental changes in the child’s brain structure. Aspergers and ADHD have very similar symptoms but as they are two distinct conditions, Aspergers and ADHD medication will be different.
Both conditions share the symptoms of hyperactivity or lethargy, impulsive actions, temper tantrums, difficulties in socializing and forming friendships and not appearing to listen when spoken to.
The child with Aspergers stands out in that he or she will have real problems in distinguishing between good and bad behaviour. There are problems too in communicating and very little eye contact. Play is often repetitive and limited to a few actions which are repeated again and again. There will never be creative play which you will notice in other children. A distinctive feature of an Aspergers child is the droning monotone voice and you frequently get the impression that they are talking at you rather than talking to you. They will rarely take delight in pointing out things to you like other children. Clumsiness is often noticed too in the child.
Aspergers and ADHD medication cannot be regarded as being part of the same equation. Because of misdiagnosis Asergers and ADHD children often end up being given the same sort of medication. The Aspergers child is put on ADHD medication like Ritalin or another type of amphetamine and there is no improvement. By contrast ADHD kids on Ritalin tend to show improvement of some of their symptoms.
Any treatment for the Aspergers child will be aimed at trying to improve social skills, reduce clumsiness and try to get the child off the repetitive routines. Sometimes psychsotimulants are used for the hyperactivity and Risperidone has been found to be useful for the repetitive actions. For the anxiety, Prozac or Zoloft is sometimes prescribed with some success. All these drugs which are typical of Aspergers and ADHD medication being prescribed today may carry a risk or have undesirable side effects.
In treating Aspergers Syndrome, many parents want to try herbal and homeopathic remedies which are free of risks and nasty side effects unlike the range of Aspergers and ADHD medication mentioned above. If a herbal remedy is part of a holistic treatment plan which includes diet, behaviour therapy and ‘green time’ then there is an excellent chance of improving the quality of life both for the parents and the child.
unritalinsolution.com ADHD medications side-effects. What to avoid ADHD medications side effects by using effective natural approaches? Check our website now to get your best options.
Why do I use the word ‘mystery’? Think about how long Ritalin , one of the most common ADHD drugs , has been on the market. Forty years ! Now, that should be long enough to assess the long term effects of taking ADHD medications, you would have thought. Wrong again ! The studies done on Ritalin are generally very short term and no long term studies have been done and if they have, they have been locked away by the drug companies, as their findings could damage the market for Ritalin. The components which are in these drugs are a mix of amphetamines , such as methylphenidate in Ritalin and dextroamphetmaine which is in Dexedrine.
Nobody will deny that these psychostimulants work quite well for lots of kids with ADHD. Figures are put at 80% but I wonder. The immediate side effects are well known and they can range from dizziness, racing heartbeat , mood swings, insomnia, loss of appetite and stunted growth. The drug companies shrug off these side effects and say that a majority of children will not be overly stressed by these effects.
What are we giving our kids? The sad answer is that we are giving them a stimulant which will affect their dopamine levels in the brain which is merely in its infancy, as development goes. Our brains fully develop when we reach our mid twenties. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and it affects our moods, motivation, pleasure and attention. If the long term effects of taking ADHD medications are unknown, then I would look at alternatives such as homeopathic ADHD remedies.
The long term effects of taking ADHD medications are a mystery and can only be guessed at, given that the studies have not been done, or delayed or just simply not published. The alarm areas of the long term issues concern heart problems, psychiatric problems and of course the risk of substance abuse. The ADHD sites glibly state that you should make sure that your kids are not selling their drugs or are not abusing them themselves by mixing them with alcohol and other deadly cocktails. That is a warning light in itself and I, personally, would not put my kids at risk.
Why not consider ADHD homeopathic medications and forget the worry about about the long term effects of taking ADHD medications. These gentle remedies have no side effects and there is absolutely no risk that they will be on the drugs black market ! There are also no long term risks because there are no counter indications at all and you can treat your ADHD child in the confidence that these gentle and safe remedies will help your child to pay attention and be less hyperactive. If you opt for a company which is under FDA supervision and which uses trained homeopaths, then you are safe in the knowledge that these remedies are guaranteed and they are also a much cheaper option.
How To Jumpstart A Successful Medical Billing Service
Start your own Medical Billing Business at home with this How-To E-Book by Vanessa Best from Precision Health Care Consultants. How To Jumpstart A Successful Medical Billing Service
Considering ADHD medication as a treatment option? Then you may be interested in reading a letter I recently from a Mom who went down that route:
Just listen what little J had to go through. he was put on both Ritalin and Risperdal. I have had to take him off both of them urgently. We went back to the GP because he was in too much pain to walk, every time I touched him he would cry out in pain and was covered in bruises. Several blood and other tests later. it was apparent that the medicine was responsible for the symptoms. Within days of stopping the meds he was OK.
I never really got down to reading all the stuff about these meds – I just needed help with his behaviour – I wish I had listened now!
These side effects on generally listed on the side of the pack although the list appears to be endless but new side effects are being identified all the time now – including memory problems in adolescents
However….. researchers into heart disease in the USA have found these drugs can affect the heart as well. These traditional medications are now know to increase heart rate and blood pressure and they are recommending that all children should be screened before being prescribed this medication because of the huge increase in prescriptions for stimulant medication.Ritalin is now being prescribed on an ever increasing basis.
Interestingly a study funded by Novartis the pharmaceutical company known to have produced Ritalin and who sponsored the parent support groups who originally defined the behavioural criteria leading to the ADHD diagnostic checklist. Their research cites that the problems seem to relate underlying heart problems in patients. One of the scientists reporting back on such findings is a Dr. Malone who has reported financial relationships with 3 major pharmaceutical companies.
The implications of this are quite clear that all children whose parents are contemplating this type of medication for their children need to have their child’s hearts screened before starting treatment. Now if there is any further doubt – it might be helpful at this point to google ADHD and Matthew Smith ‘s story, also the poignant story on youtube, as told by his father after his death 10 years ago from the effects of this medication. Matthew was put on this drug after pressure on his parents from school.
It is probably a good idea not to give thesee drugs to very young children, whatever the diagnosis. You would be forgiven for thinking that this might go without saying because of all of the developmental implication in the brains of children at this age that can be compromised by this type of treatment. However as far back as 1991 and 1995 – prescriptions for toddlers aged 2-4 years old increased by 300% .
Just evaluate all the possibilities when thinking how to treat ADHD in your child – in a recent Australian study where a sample of young people were diagnosed with ADHD and then re-evaluated by a multi disciplinary team – I in 3 were found not to have ADHD.
The great ADHD and medicine debates will continue no doubt…..
Ashley, a College student is interviewed by psychologist Dr. Charles Shinaver about prescription drug abuse to improve academic performance. Are you aware of any college students who are not diagnosed with ADHD but abuse ADHD medications as a study helper? What awareness do you think College kids have of the risks or the side effects of ADHD drugs? Are there other purposes for which college students abuse ADHD drugs? Video Rating: 5 / 5
Getting Students into Medical School
A Step-by-step guide which helps students excel at the Gamsat (med-school entrance exam) in the United Kingdom. Getting Students into Medical School
