| Parents of ADHD gifted children have the difficult | | | | styles of gifted children. |
| job of finding the best and healthiest ways to | | | | Some researchers have found that anxiety often |
| support their children. Many of these children and | | | | is an underlying issue with gifted attention deficit |
| teens with ADHD may have the ability to access | | | | disorder and ADHD children. When these kids with |
| a level of creative intelligence that could be called | | | | learning disabilities experience anxiety and tension, |
| "genius." In spite of theses gifts they may need | | | | they may perceive these feelings to be boredom |
| help in learning how to focus and channel their | | | | which interferes with their ability to focus |
| energy. | | | | attention. |
| Conventional medical ADHD treatment usually | | | | Children may feel anxious for a number of |
| involves stimulant medications that may or may | | | | reasons; peer and parental pressure, genetic |
| not be helpful, due to the highly individual nature | | | | predisposition, emotional crises, etc. One important |
| of ADHD symptoms. Use of ADHD prescription | | | | element that determines the level of anxiety a |
| drugs for children under 16 has increased over | | | | child feels is security. This is something parents |
| 33% in the last five years. | | | | can become more aware of and have more |
| Drugs like Ritalin and Concerta may suppress | | | | control over. |
| alpha brain waves, which are predominant in many | | | | Anxiety is also a natural byproduct of the |
| "gifted" children. Forcing a child into beta brain | | | | evolution of the human mind. The mind didn't |
| waves can be a short term solution for attention | | | | necessarily evolve to make us feel good, but to |
| and learning issues, but in the long term it may | | | | ensure our survival. We all have to learn to |
| cause more problems. Gifted children often can | | | | modulate our "fight or flight" conditioning, and this |
| easily access alpha brain waves, which can open | | | | conditioning affects some people more than |
| the way to a high level of creative intelligence. | | | | others. |
| There is some concern that we may be | | | | Non-medication related tactics to help ADHD |
| suppressing some of our most brilliant and | | | | gifted children, and adults with the condition, are |
| creative kids with discipline and prescription | | | | brainwave biofeedback (neurofeedback), herbal |
| medications, which will ultimately hinder their | | | | and homeopathic remedies and diet adjustments. |
| development. With a slow changing educational | | | | These can be used together in different |
| system to contend with, parents are being put in | | | | combinations, depending on a person's specific |
| the position of finding ways to help their kids fit in | | | | symptoms, for an effective plan to accelerate |
| with a system that doesn't cater to the learning | | | | progress. |