| ague of mine at work has a grandson diagnosed | | | | described as unable to relax or are constantly 'on |
| with child attention deficit disorder. When I talked | | | | the go', to the extent that even when sitting |
| to her about it, I wondered how you could tell | | | | down, they might constantly be 'fiddling' or |
| whether it was ADD or 'just difficult or slow'. It is | | | | squirming in the chair. For parents this can be a |
| particularly difficult to tell with boys up to the age | | | | nightmare as the child requires very little sleep and |
| of about 16. Where do you draw the line? My | | | | there is no break from all the restless activity. |
| own grandmother was a primary school Head | | | | So what help is there? Is there a cure? Is it |
| teacher for many years and she used to say that | | | | something that a child can grow out of? The |
| boys did not develop intellectually as quickly as | | | | answer to the last question is 'no', ADD and |
| girls. | | | | ADHD is a physical dysfunction of the brain. It |
| My interest raised, I decided to investigate | | | | does tend to run in families but it is not due to |
| further. It appears that there are three stages in | | | | bad parenting or poor discipline. |
| normal development. The first stage can be seen | | | | Attention Deficit Disorder and Treatment: |
| in babies when they become focused on one thing | | | | Children can receive medication and therapy that |
| for a period of time and ignore everything else. A | | | | helps to overcome the disorder, if it is diagnosed |
| child whose development stops at this stage | | | | early enough. The problem is diagnosing the |
| might have a tendency towards autism. | | | | extent to which someone requires help, as the |
| The second stage is when a toddler is constantly | | | | spectrum is very wide. Most experts seem to |
| finding different things of interest but never able | | | | recommend a treatment combining medication |
| to concentrate on one thing for very long. A child | | | | and psychotherapy. Psychostimulants such as |
| who is stuck at this stage of development might | | | | 'Ritalin' and 'Dexedrine' help to improve the sluggish |
| be diagnosed as having attention deficit disorder. | | | | part of the brain causing the problems. |
| It seems that at the third stage, a child develops | | | | Psychotherapy helps to train ADD sufferers to |
| the ability to focus their interest for longer periods | | | | pay attention, control impulses and behave |
| and to shift their attention at will. This is | | | | appropriately in all sorts of situations. |
| considered to be a mature pattern of attention | | | | Alongside this medical treatment, it is recognised |
| and concentration and is the level required to be | | | | that diet can be important. There is evidence to |
| successful in the classroom. | | | | suggest that some children with ADHD can react |
| However, according to my colleague, Anne, ADD | | | | badly to certain combinations of foods. These can |
| is not just about being incapable of concentrating | | | | include dairy products, chocolate, wheat, fruit and |
| on anything for very long. The point is that people | | | | particularly additives. A possible link between |
| with Attention Deficit Disorder can't choose when | | | | attention difficulties and hyperactivity and the use |
| to pay attention, what to pay attention to or | | | | of preservatives and colourings in food has been |
| when to stop. Anne told me that this became | | | | found. |
| very clear when undertaking a normal task like | | | | There has also been some research into fatty |
| crossing the road. Her grandson has been taught | | | | acids as it has been found that people with ADD |
| many times how to cross the road safely. | | | | appear to be lacking in Omega 3 and Omega 6. It |
| Nevertheless, without warning, if he has to wait | | | | is thought that these fatty acids are crucial for |
| for any time or watch the traffic for a space, all | | | | proper growth in mental function and brain |
| the training will go out the window. He knows he | | | | development. The Omega 3 family of fatty acids |
| has to cross the road and will just go! | | | | are found in fish such as salmon and mackerel, as |
| The funny thing is that, along side this inability to | | | | well as flax oil. Omega 6 is found in corn, |
| choose when to pay attention and when not, is | | | | sunflower, canola and safflower oil, margarine and |
| an ability to intensely focus on a particular activity | | | | vegetable oil. Even though none of the evidence is |
| and forget to take a break. This could be | | | | conclusive, parents may wish to try a change in |
| repeatedly completing the same jigsaw or | | | | diet to see if it helps. |
| watching the same video to the exclusion of | | | | To finish, it was interesting to note that on |
| anything else. If this is not recognised and worked | | | | several web sites some famously successful |
| on, some people say it can lead to substance | | | | people exhibited behaviours that now lead experts |
| abuse, overeating, and compulsive behaviour later | | | | to believe that they had ADD. These include |
| on. | | | | people like Beethoven, Mozart, Einstein and |
| A variation on ADD is ADHD, or Attention Deficit | | | | Pasteur. |
| Hyperactivity Disorder. People with this are often | | | | |