Are you a parent who has a child with ADD or ADHD, or any form of neurodevelopmental disorder? If so, then you already know how difficult it can be to raise a child with these conditions.
The rates of children being diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder has been skyrocketing in the past couple of decades. Around 11% of children are diagnosed with either ADD or ADHD.
The question people want answered is, why? Are the diagnostic procedures better than they used to be? Or are there now different levels of ADD and ADHD, so more kids are diagnosed? Or maybe our environment or genetics plays a role.
What we do know is that these kids aren't getting the full support that they deserve because of all the unknowns to these disorders. Parents do the best that they can, and as more information comes out, it is up to us to get the information into the parents' hands.
What Are Some Ways to Support a Child with ADD or ADHD
The conventional methods of treating ADD and ADHD is to use different forms of medication. Medication can be a fantastic way to instantly know whether you are working with a neurodevelopmental disorder or not because the results are pretty instant.
But there can be other methods of trying to keep the children focused (and less wild). Sometimes it is best to use multiple different methods to see what works the best for your child:
- Neurofeedback Therapy
- Changing diets and improving overall nutrition
- Looking at overall gut health and see if that is changing brain function
These are just some options, and we discuss more in this episode. Tara Hunkin shares with us a lot of insights into how to manage your child, and ways to help them improve:
» What are causing increases in the neurodevelopmental rates
» What symptoms you should be looking for with your young children
» Tests that very child should do to make sure their brain is functioning well
» Various treatment options and support for the kids
Shownotes
- [2:30] Tara's own experiences with raising her daughter is what made her passionate about neurodevelopmental disorders
- [6:15] There is so much information available online, how do you know where to start and what to follow
- [8:30] How likely is it that a child will have some form of neurodevelopmental disorder such as ADD or ADHD
- [11:30] Boys are 4 times more likely to get autism than girls
- [13:15] The age for diagnosis varies depending on the person. Some kids have more clear cut symptoms, others don't
- [16:00] Is there an easy way for a parent to know if their child is just acting out, or has a deeper issue going on
- [19:15] Should every single child be tested for their primitive reflexes
- [21:15] People can find practitioners who perform these primitive reflex tests at their pediatric occupational therapist, IAFNR, Carrick Institute, Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo
- [23:00] What can cause an increase in ADD, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders
- [25:30] EMFs could be a culprit for ADD/ADHD, so can kids being on technology too early in life expose their brains to too much EMFs
- [28:45] What are pros and cons of stimulant medication that is typically used for ADD and ADHD
- [32:30] Neurofeedback can be a great option to help kids improve their brain function
- [33:15] There can also be an imbalance in the microbiome that can play a role in how the brain functions
- [35:00] Many kids have digestive issues, how does this influence ADD and ADHD
- [37:00] Have you used Amino Acid Therapy in treatment for neurodevelopmental disorders before
- [38:45] What are some common nutritional deficiencies that children have and should be restored
- [40:30] How do you get kids to make changes to the food they eat and to incorporate better nutrition
- [45:00] Teenagers like to fight back, and they are at a point where they make their own decisions. How do you get them to change their food
- [53:00] Learn more about the Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder Summit
Resources
» Learn More about the Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder Summit
» Find a practitioner for primitive reflex checks at Carrick Institute or IAFNR or the book Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo
Learn More About Tara Hunkin
Website: My Child Will Thrive
Social Media: Facebook , Instagram , Pinterest
