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The Symptoms Of ADHD In Children And Adolescents, And The Desire For Natural Treatment Options

29 July 2015

Lieve Boekholt

Children and adolescents are being diagnosed with ADHD at alarming rates. According to Healthline, 6.4 million children in America between the ages of 5 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. This statistic shows a 42% increase in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD over the past 8 years. With an increase in the number of children being diagnosed, the desire to find natural treatments for ADHD has also risen. With 6.1% of all the children in the United States being treated with medication, natural remedies to combat the symptoms of ADHD are being considered by many parents.

The Symptoms Associated with ADHD

Many young children are energetic daydreamers that have a very limited attention span. It is when young children enter school that problems with concentration and attention span begin to inhibit the learning process. A marked difference has been shown between the symptoms girls and boys show that indicate ADHD. Typically boys will exhibit:

• Obvious acting out in class
• Running around, hitting other students in the class
• Difficulty staying focused on classwork
• Physically aggressive behavior

Teachers observe different behaviors in girls, which include:

• Withdrawal from participation in classroom activities
• Trouble focusing that looks like anxiety
• Academic progress is impaired
• An appearance that they are daydreaming
• Aggressiveness that manifests verbally, such as calling others names, yelling and teasing.

Alternative Treatment Options Instead of Using Traditional Medications for ADHD

With a number of medications used to treat ADHD causing significant side effects, parents are hesitant to utilize ADHD medications to treat their children. While traditional medications can be a very effective tool to manage ADHD, side effects can include:

• trouble sleeping at night
• problems with mood swings
• a loss of appetite

In an effort to ease both the symptoms of ADHD and those that are caused by the use of medications, alternative treatment options are often tried first to see if they are effective. Natural treatments can include massage therapy, behavior modification therapy, supplements, biofeedback, an engagement in sports or other physical activity, and yoga. Some providers believe that ADHD is exacerbated from the use of food additives and coloring, and removing these from the diet can improve symptoms for a child or adolescent with ADHD.

It's important to look at the child or adolescent as a whole, and consider traditional therapy to see if there are underlying reasons for the symptoms the child is exhibiting. While ADHD may be present, there are any number of conditions that could be causing a child to act out that will not be helped by medication. For more information about children behavioral issues, contact professionals like Lazaroff & Lazaroff - Beatrice S. Lazaroff, Ph.D./Jerry M. Lazaroff, Ph.D.

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