ADHD BreakthroughsImpulsiveness, lack of attention and hyperactivity are the common traits of children with ADHD. All of these can make it hard to teach children in a school environment. Therefore it is important that when teaching ADHD children the day is carefully planned to try and ensure the children are kept organized and motivated to complete tasks.
Teachers who have ADHD children in their classes need to be accepting and accommodating of the condition. Although some children with ADHD may have learning difficulties that are associated with ADHD behaviors, they are not unintelligent, they just need to be given the right environment in which to learn.
So, what steps can be taken to effectively teach ADHD children? First and foremost, it helps to understand their uniqueness. Take a look at the list of strategies for teaching children with ADHD below.
• Introduce the child to an organized environment. When in school, make use of folders and dividers on his desk so he’ll be able to spot things easily. Also a color coding system to distinguish the textbook covers for specific subjects can be useful.
• Children with ADHD can struggle with writing and numerical work. Showing him how to use his finger or pencil across the pages when reading to help keep concentration and so he doesn’t lose his place. When writing, encourage him to use his fingers to specify spacing and graph paper is useful when writing numbers to keep things aligned.
• Reduce his homework. Too much homework can be really overwhelming for kids with ADHD. Better to give a lesser amount and have it completed than allocate a lot and have nothing back. As much as possible, give homework that involves the use of materials instead of requiring lots of writing.
• Provide a warm and welcoming classroom environment, but one that doesn’t offer too many distractions. Think about where you sit children with ADHD to allow them the best chance for concentrating.
• Always show the value of organization in the classroom. Give them time to fix his things by themselves.
• Be liberal with praise. Praise the good deeds and give rewards to those who did well in the schoolwork and homework. Positive feedback will generally work better than negative feedback.
• Monitor the child’s progress. Always have the parents involved.
• Be clear on when moving around is acceptable and when it’s not. Don’t expect them to sit in their seats all day.
• Encourage him to work in groups to encourage interaction with peers.
Parents can also find it hard to find solutions to ADHD behavior. However, it is essential that the parents of an ADHD child get involved with his progress and transition. Keep up to date with what’s happening at school and find out if there is actions you can take at home that will help cement what is being taught in school.
When it comes to homework it is important to be supportive, without actually doing the homework for your child.
Provide a quiet space that is free from distractions, both visual and aural. Take a look at what homework is required and ensure your child understands what they need to do. Answer any questions they have and provide the necessary materials, but then leave them to complete the work.
When the homework is finished review it with your child. If they’ve made mistakes or missed out a section, point it out, assure them that it is alright to make mistakes, but that mistakes need correcting. Always praise him for a good job.
For more teaching tips on helping ADHD children get through their schoolwork, sign up for the free ADHD newsletter below.
Teaching ADHD children can be challenging, but it also comes with rewards. By putting some simple strategies in place you can make the learning environment much easier for all concerned.
Synthetic pigment
In many fruit water, fruit powder, fruit syrup, soft drinks, prepared wine, red and green silk, canned food in a large number of applications. 2007, “Lancet” published in a British journal study, intake of artificial coloring will increase children’s ADHD symptoms. To this end, the European Food Standards Agency asked manufacturers to take the initiative to disable the artificial food coloring. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved allowing the use of artificial coloring.In response, FAN Zhi hong said the children are the most in the crowd to avoid the intake of artificial colors. In order to please the children, many children are with a variety of artificial food coloring, which parents should be vigilant. When choosing food for children, should be too far from the bright colors of products.
High fructose corn syrup
This is a syrup made from corn, not only used in candy, carbonated beverages in more common. In one view, it will increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.U.S. experts believe that from a biochemical point of view, high fructose corn syrup and sucrose are sugar, not much different. American Medical Association recently issued a statement saying there was no sufficient evidence to support “high fructose corn syrup than sugar bad,” the point of view; if eating too much, they will harm the health. In response, FAN Zhi hong explained that in the strict sense, high fructose corn syrup does not count as food additives, in fact, as it is sugar and sugar have calories, but tastes more sweet, as well as water retention, drink this kind of beverage syrup preparation, people hardly full of feeling, unconsciously will drink, which may increase the risk of obesity.
Aspartame (a non sugar sweetener)
It is widely used as a sweetener flavor yogurt, canned fruit, rice puddings, jelly, bread and so on. It has triggered a variety of health concerns, such as cancer, epilepsy, headache, and intellectual influence. But large scale studies have shown that aspartame and these diseases are not directly linked. In the past 23 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has confirmed 26 of its security. FAN Zhi hong, said aspartame is 200 times as sweet as sugar, used in the amount of food is minimal, Guer it did not increase in dietary sugar calories.
Sodium benzoate
British food experts believe that drinks containing both sodium benzoate and vitamin C these two components, the possible interaction of form benzene. Benzene is a carcinogen. But this argument has not been unanimous recognition of chemical experts. Sodium benzoate in the human body to its own metabolism, drug free urine through the daily discharge; fact that people every day to enter the body by inhalation of benzene exposure than drinking soft drinks and benzene to more fruit, vegetables and dairy products contain small amounts of benzene ; smoke, automobile exhaust and paint, detergents contain benzene. However, experts advise, sodium benzoate metabolism in the body parts primarily in the liver, the liver function of poor people suggested cutting back on drinks.
Sodium nitrite
In meat processing are widely used, sausage, canned meat and so with this additive. One theory is that the U.S. sodium nitrite intake can cause gastric cancer. In China, the use of sodium nitrite have strict requirements for the maximum amount of meat in it Kejia 0.15 grams per thousand, in the sausage add 0.03 grams allowed. If not always, a lot of eating processed meat products, can reduce the intake of sodium nitrite.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), also simply known as autism, represents a broad group of learning disability disorders characterized by impaired social interactions, problems with non verbal communications and repetitive behaviors or severely limited activities and interests. Autism is one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood developmental disorders. The symptoms of autism in children usually appear before the child is 3 years old. According to the research by Centers for Disease Control Prevention in 2007, autism affects 1 in every 150 children in the United States. Statistics also show, that autism is three times common in boys than in girls. Read more on facts about autism.
Autism is characterized by three distinctive behaviors. There are certain physical characteristics of children with autism like difficulties with social interaction, display problems with verbal and non verbal communication and exhibition of obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in behavior from mild autism symptoms in children to disabling. As autism varies widely in severity and symptoms of autism in children, it may go unrecognized when debilitating disabilities mask it. In almost 75% of cases of autism, children also have mental retardation and find it difficult to bond with their parents or other family members. Read more on early symptoms of autism.
Autism Symptoms in Children
The signs and symptoms of autism in children, usually become observable in early childhood. Autism includes a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms, though each autistic child will exhibit a unique mixture of these behaviors, from mild autism symptoms to severe ones. The following are symptoms of autism in children:
Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding languages
Difficulty with non verbal communication, like gestures and facial expressions
Even when the child has the ability to speak, there is the inability to participate in a conversation
Not able to make friends and preferring to play alone
Finds it difficult to socially interact and relate to people, and to his or her surroundings
Unique and unusual ways of playing with toys, like lining them only in a particular way
Not capable of imagining
Unable to adjust to changes in routine and unreasonable insistence on following the regular routine in detail
Obsession with unusual objects or parts of objects
Repetitive body movements or patterns of behavior like hand clapping, head banging or spinning
However, each child develops at their own pace, some may develop quickly than the other so, you should consider an evaluation for autism if any of the following autism symptoms in infants are seen:
The child avoids eye contact as much as possible
The child does not babble or coo by the time he or she is one year old
The child does not gesture in any form of a point or wave by the time he or she reaches the age of one year
The child does not start saying single words by the age of 16 months
The child does not start saying two word phrases by the age of 2 years
The child has lost all social skills
Diagnosis of Autism
Diagnosis of autism is based on standardized testing, plus a clinical evaluation by an autism specialist. These professionals are usually psychologists, psychiatrists, developmental pediatricians, pediatric neurologists or medical geneticists.
The diagnosis of autism is made when there are a specific number of symptoms as defined by the Diagnostic and Standard Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Some commonly used diagnostic tests are the CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), the ABC (Autism Behavior Checklist) and the GARS (Gilliam Autism Rating Scale). Formal diagnosis by an autism specialist usually depends on completing the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale), and ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised). The CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) is often used in pediatrician’s offices to screen for autism symptoms. Also, when physical features, like small head size or brain malformations are present, or there is a family history of relatives with autism, genetic testing such as chromosome analysis and single-gene testing is done.
Autism Treatments
Though, autism is a disorder that does not have a fool proof treatment plan and cure, there are autism treatments available to bring about marked improvement. There are a number of special therapies and behavioral interventions that target the development of language and social skills. Also, there are a lot of support groups available for family members to help understand and cope with their autistic children. But most of all parents need to provide love and support to the child.
These were the symptoms of autism in children and the various tests available for its diagnosis, along with the treatment options. Though there is no cure found for autism, there are a lot of therapies and behavioral interventions designed to remedy specific symptoms and bring about substantial improvement. But the best remedy that one can use for an autistic child is to shower him with ample love and affection.
As in other states, Michigan schools are seeing more and more parents of disabled children pulling them out of public schools, providing alternative private education, and then suing the Michigan Schools to foot the bill. It has become a problem and growing expense for public schools across the nation, ever since the passing of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which states that public schools are required to provide special education students with a free, appropriate public education. Disputes arise when parents and school administrators are in conflict over what is appropriate.
The Michigan Schools recently had its Birmingham school district sued by parents of a 17-year-old son with bipolar, obsessive compulsive and Asperger’s disorders, as well as other impairments. Andrew’s condition has become more serious in recent years, though Andrew’s daily regimen of pills control his otherwise violent and uncontrollable episodes.
His parents believed he would be better educated at home with one-on-one instruction, where there would be few distractions. Andrew had attended Groves High School in Franklin; however, his parents took it upon themselves to pull him out and provide his education at home through private teachers.
Michigan schools officials in the Birmingham district believe that Andrew would do better being educated at the high school with other students, where he could improve his social skills. The dispute between parents and Michigan schools administrators became a legal battle, with the parents seeking compensation of $113,000 to pay for the at-home private teachers and therapists for the past three years, as well as to cover these same expenses for one additional year.
The Michigan schools district in Birmingham charged that they had provided the Lipsitt boy with appropriate educational opportunities by shortening his school week and providing classes with opportunities for him to learn to socialize (some in regular classroom settings). They made numerous attempts to create a special educational program for Andrew, all of which were rejected by his parents, who wanted him home schooled.
This is not the first such case for the Michigan schools that currently have 242,000 students, who receive special educational services, and the number is growing each year. In the 2005-2006 school year, the Michigan schools saw 110 formal complaints over special educational services. There were only 77 such complaints just nine years ago. Though most cases are resolved before ever going to a hearing, the Michigan schools are seeing more and more parents pulling their special needs children out of the public schools first, providing alternative education, and then suing the Michigan schools’ districts for compensation.
Some cases do not even involve services that the Michigan schools are obligated to provide. One family with an autistic 12-year-old, for instance, was told by their doctor that their son needed several hours each week of speech therapy. They wanted the Michigan schools to provide this, but they offered 40 minutes each week, though they were not obligated by law to provide any such services. The parents then went to their insurance company, which paid for some of the therapy, as well.
The Lipsitt case was recently settled by a state administrative law judge, who ruled in favor of the Lipsitt family. Judge Lauren Harkness ordered the Michigan schools Birmingham district to pay for more than two years of homebound special education, stating that the district denied Andrew a free and appropriate public education. The district may appeal the ruling.
It is not that these children do not deserve these services — they do; however, the Michigan schools have a limited budget to cover such services for all of the 242,000 special needs children. As the number of such children rises, so does the state and federal contributions to each school; however, the current $723 million is not enough to cover the in-school costs of special education, as well as the expenses incurred by parents who make alternative educational arrangements (usually private and expensive).
There is no doubt that, as a society, we need to provide an appropriate education for special needs children. To do so, without hurting other children (including those with special needs who attend public school), the Michigan schools and other public school systems across the nation must develop a better method of communicating and working with the parents of special needs children, the community and government. Better funding and guidelines must exist for the schools, as well as other funding opportunities for such parents to provide non-educational services needed for their children. Otherwise, the public schools will be bankrupt paying for expensive educations and services for only a few.
For more information on Michigan schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Michigan/index.html
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common problem in children that affects the nervous system of the target and render them to feel uneasy in all their ways of life. It makes the child to lose interest in whatever that happens in front of him or her. If left without care, the problem may persist in one’s adulthood too. Though proper parental guidance is the considered to be the best treatment for the disorder, some people have started preferring natural remedies for it.
Natural Remedies:
Diet based treatment
Considering the natural remedies for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, most of the people prefer dietary approaches since they do not bring side effect unlike other medicinal treatments. In addition, the body does not get affected health wise. It has been scientifically proved that the diet taken in by the people has direct relationships with the brain and the nervous system of the humans. Hence, change in the diet can bring about a change in the behavior too. The main case of the above condition is the allergies that certain ADHD affected children have towards certain food. Tests on some of the ADHD children have shown proof that these children are sensitive to certain food may directly or indirectly affect the child mentally. Though this has been proved only on a small percentage of the affected children, a large percentage of the children are highly sensitive to hard chemicals and drugs. This means that there is only a small possibility of such children getting medical treatments for their disorder. This in turn forces them to take up natural treatments and diet based treatments.
Among the diet based treatments for ADHD children the most common diet given to the patients is the Feingold diet. The basic idea is to provide a diet that is devoid of salicylates. Though it is very difficult to make the children to get use to this kind of diet, adapting to the diet can result in very good and positive effects. It contains a rich and natural diet though it lacks a bit in its nutritive value.
Another important point to note in the case of dietary treatment is the avoidance of the use of excess of sugar in the daily diet. Though it has been experimentally proven that a sugar rich diet does not have anything to do with hyperactivity, the carbohydrate content in sugar has the tendency to make the child sedate. Hence, people prefer to opt for a protein rich diet for the ADHD affected children. Usage of essential fatty acids in the daily diet can provide the necessary impulses for a better brain functionality. This can also have direct effects on the functioning of the nervous system.
Herbal treatment
Herbal treatment and other natural treatments like homeopathic treatments are also a good option to choose for ADHD. This, in general, does not have any kind of side effects and can be accurate and reliable in the cure of the disorder though it takes a longer time than usual. Some of the herbs used for the treatment are oral flower essence, pine extract, melatonin, ginkgo biloba etc. These herbs have slow but positive effects on the affected people. Ginseng is also used for certain attention deficit disorders. Though these are very reliable, they must not be taken unless there is proper guidance from an experienced medical practitioner. They should also be taken on proper quantities as prescribed by the doctor. Special care should be taken while the treatment is applied for small children.
These are some of the natural remedies for ADHD affected children.
Experts say one of the best ways parents and teachers can foster the development of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and encourage a good start to a new school year is to celebrate their small, everyday achievements. Success for children with ADHD is defined in many ways and recognized based on a child’s ability to overcome challenges associated with the disorder. Following rules, getting along with family members, and interacting socially with peers at school are examples of behavior worth celebrating.
Now parents, teachers and others have a new, simple way to highlight the accomplishments of children with ADHD. McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals has launched a nationwide scholarship essay contest, grounded in celebrating everyday successes, that can help offset the cost of higher education for more than 200 children with ADHD. The CONCERTA “I See Success” ADHD Scholarship Contest gives parents, caregivers, and other adults an opportunity to recognize the academic, extra-curricular, and/or social achievements of a child with ADHD. Any child with diagnosed ADHD, regardless of his or her treatment plan, can be nominated for the contest.
“In addition to its proven impact on academic performance, the symptoms of ADHD also affect areas such as how children get along with family and friends, complete homework assignments and household tasks, and participate in after-school activities,” says ADHD expert Andrew Adesman, M.D., chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Schneider Children’s Hospital in Long Island, NY. “Success for a child with ADHD can mean an improvement in grades, getting along better with a sibling, maintaining a regular schedule, or simply getting ready for school in the morning without a major battle with mom or dad,” he adds.
“Before she was diagnosed with ADHD, my daughter would consistently get unsatisfactory marks for behavior in class. Once her symptoms were well-managed, she started getting excellent marks for behavior week after week,” says Debra Calderon, who lives near Houston, Texas. “I even took her out for dinner to celebrate a week that she got a ‘satisfactory’ to reinforce that I was still very proud of her success.”
About the CONCERTA “I See Success” ADHD Scholarship Contest
To nominate a child, write and submit an original essay, 250 words or less, describing how and why the child has been able to cope with the disorder and how he/she has improved and succeeded in academics, personal interactions and/or extra-curricular activities. Nominations will be accepted until December 1, 2003. The nominee must have a verifiable diagnosis of ADHD, which must be attested to on the entry from by the child’s doctor. Entry forms and official rules are available at www.concerta.net. The CONCERTA “I See Success” ADHD Scholarship Contest is in full compliance with the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
About ADHD
ADHD is a common neurobehavioral disorder affecting millions of children, adolescents and adults that is characterized by a variable attention span and/or hyperactivity or impulsivity. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Mayo Clinic, approximately 7.5 percent of school-age children in the U.S. have ADHD.
About CONCERTA
CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCl) CII is a once-daily extended-release formulation of methylphenidate approved to treat ADHD. The efficacy of CONCERTA has been demonstrated in studies conducted in children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age. Only a doctor can determine if medication is the right treatment for individuals with ADHD.
CONCERTA uses an advanced OROS extended-release delivery system to deliver a controlled rate of medication throughout the day. Because of its unique OROS system, CONCERTA minimizes the ups and downs in blood levels experienced with stimulant medications taken several times a day.
CONCERTA should not be taken by patients with: significant anxiety, tension, or agitation; allergies to methylphenidate or other ingredients in CONCERTA; glaucoma, Tourette’s syndrome, tics, or family history of Tourette’s syndrome; current/recent use of monoamine oxidase (MAOIs). Abuse of methylphenidate may lead to dependence. CONCERTA should not be taken by children under 6 years of age.
In clinical studies with patients using CONCERTA, the most common side effects were headache, stomach pain, sleeplessness, and decreased appetite. For more information about CONCERTA, including full U.S. prescribing information, please visit www.concerta.net or call (888) 440-7903.
Are you worried, ashamed, embarrassed about the possibility that you may be suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder? If so, do not despair. You are not unique. Most people feel the same.
As you may already know, children aren’t the only ones that suffer from an attention deficit disorder; there are several very intelligent adults that are currently struggling with adult Attention Deficit Disorder as well. Even though this is nothing to be ashamed of, it is vital that you seek out treatment and help, because these two things can improve the quality of your life significantly.
Most of the sufferers have a tendency of trying to hide their condition, and because of that, over time they begin to experience low levels of self-confidence and they learn that there really is a little meaning in all of their lives. In fact, this makes the situation worse since lack of confidence would require more attention than usual. This brings about the spiral effect. In a situation where you have taken all of the active steps to learn more about the adult ADD and everything that it entails, and searched for a professional opinion, then you should find the following five ways to counter adult attention deficit disorder will be very useful for you. However, even before you apply these 5 methods, you will need to consider a fundamental issue here.
In life, people have all kinds of issues ranging from emotional issues like anger, etc to hatred for loved ones. In between, there are all kinds of issues: I don’t like my nose, my colour, my hair, my job, my boss, sleeping disorder, fear, worry, guilt, etc. etc.
Although this is not the direct mandate of this article, it is critical that we understand how life works and what is the design of human
beings. Whatever we resist, it will persist. The more you try to change things, the more they will remain the same. Hence, the first step
to deal with any issue is to stop resisting the issue. If you will continue to run away from the issue, or dislike it, or hate it, the more it will show up in your life.
The only way to deal with any issue is to embrace it. When you embrace, you don’t accept. You just let it be. You take away the significance from the issue. You say to yourself: I am OK if this issue continues in my life. Sooner rather than later, whatever you allow to be in your life, begins to disappear. This is the first and crucial step before you apply any of the following methods.To be continue please click:-Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Both in Children
To continue reading for more information, please visit WEBSITE LINK:-www.addisorder.pleasesolvemyproblem.com
Incorporating autistic children activities is extremely essential for the physical and mental growth of children with autism. These activities must include a variety of indoor as well as outdoor activities, that can hold the interest of these children. These activities must also include a bit of learning or must have an educational value to them. Parents and teachers must schedule these activities into the daily routine of the children, in such a way, that they enjoy them and at the same time obtain some knowledge while mingling around with other children. Activities for autistic children should be fun, challenging and should aim at their overall progress. Listed below are some fun indoor and outdoor autistic kids activities, that can be used as tools for teaching children with autism.
Indoor Autistic Children Activities
Indoor Games: Select easy indoor games that combine sensory activities, like I spy, guess my name, touch and tell, what would you do, etc. You can also incorporate a few simple board games like wordplay, picture link, smart math, etc.
Art Work: Most autistic kids are artistically inclined and find it easy to express their creativity and talent through kids art activities. Most importantly, working with colors promotes sensory development in these kids. Kids aged 5 to 9 can work with crayons and pencils, while the older ones can work with water colors and even acrylic paint. Do remember to appreciate their unique creation, as this would motivate them immensely.
Craft Work: Kids craft work is what all children love to indulge in. In autistic children, craft work helps in improving their finger dexterity. Simple craft work like making a collage, stationary holders, tissue paper butterflies, etc. can be implemented. They can also work with clay to create different kinds of models. Get him some craft books, for you never know, a child may also end up sculpting something beautiful.
Reading, Poetry and Story Telling: Reading is an important interactive activity for autistic kids. Stories and poems can be either recited or read out and children can be encouraged to read out a few lines from the stories. They can also be encouraged to memorize poems along with actions. Short stories can also be enacted by groups of children, by conducting a small competition.
Musical Instruments and Singing: Children can be taught to play simple musical instruments. They also love to learn a new song everyday and participate in song singing activities.
Outdoor Autistic Children Activities
Outdoor Games: Simple outdoor games and sports activities can be organized for autistic children. These can include sports like baseball and golf, and activities like skipping, tossing water balloons, making castles, playing in the swimming pool, etc. All these outdoor activities need vigilant supervision to be sure that the child does not come in very close contact with strangers.
Camps: Camps can be conducted for autistic children, but make sure the kid is comfortable with the location you would be camping at. A beach would be the ideal location to camp with autistic children. High supervision is required in such activities.
Visits: Taking autistic children for a visit to the park, a museum or to another child’s house for a party, is an ideal outdoor autistic kids activity. This will be a great learning experience for the child as well.
Outdoor autistic children activities should be conducted with all the necessary preparations and make sure that all precautions are implemented before hand. Do not try to force the child into any of these outdoor activities, if he/she shows any signs of discomfort.
These autistic children activities might help autistic children develop hobbies and they might even tell you what they would like to do on a particular day. Be patient with these children, allow them to explore their interests and do not hesitate to experiment with different activities. Encouragement and motivation is the key to make the activity an enjoyable learning experience for the children.
Fish oil being a great source of omega 3 essential fatty acids, its consumption surely has long term health benefits. The constituents in fish oil provide a healthy heart and are necessary for normal growth of the brain. Supplementing the diet with fish oil can help maintain normal vision and greatly reduce the risk of diseases such as colon and breast cancer. Read more on the beneficial effects of fish oil on the heart.
Fish Oil Benefits for Children
Nowadays, fish oil has also been prescribed for children to improve their overall mental health. Symptoms of certain respiratory disorders like asthma, have considerably reduced in children due to intake of fish oil supplements. Other benefits of fish oil for kids are given below:
Maximize Brain Function
Considered as brain food, fish oil for children is very much capable to optimize their brain function. It can maximize brain health and is especially useful in children with learning disorders. No wonder, fish oil supplements are referred as brain sharp capsules.
Increases Concentration Power
Lack of concentration in any activity can hinder the progress of the child. Many children also complain about lowered concentration level while studying. However, intake of fish oil in the prescribed dosage can boost concentration in children.
Improves Memory
This is another reason why doctors recommend fish oil for children. It is found that children with weak memory benefit by taking fish oil supplements. Short term memory loss decreases a child’s ability to remember information about important events. This can also affect his ability to learn new things. However, research has shown that a diet that includes fish can increase memory function in children. In fact, fish oil is a boon for children with memory problems.
Relieves Symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Fish oil is another non-drug treatment that has shown promising results to reduce ADHD symptoms. Also referred as attention deficit disorder, a child diagnosed with ADHD shows acute lack of inattentiveness while studying or performing any activity. This is a behavioral disorder in which the children are hyperactive and find it difficult to focus, while performing any task. Trouble in focusing can lead to learning disability, thus affecting their ability to succeed in life. However, fish oil has emerged as a ray of hope for children with ADHD. A study was conducted to verify whether fish oil could curb ADHD symptoms. For a stipulated period of 3 months, school going children were put on fish oil supplements that were high in omega – 3 essential fatty acids. Results were encouraging, as the children displayed better sustained attention while doing any task. Also, there was a significant positive change in their behavior and learning skills. Read more on ADHD diet for children.
Improves Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a disorder that interferes with the child’s intellectual ability. This learning disorder, considerably restricts a child’s ability to read, write and talk properly. Children with dyslexia are unable to spell words correctly in a written text. The good news is that this learning disability can be treated with fish oil for children. Research has found that intake of fish oil capsules can improve reading and writing skills of children with dyslexia.
How Much Fish Oil for Kids?
Considering side effects of fish oil, administering it to children in large doses is not recommended. To reap benefits of fish oil, giving a small dose is a better option to be on the safer side. Depending upon the age of the child, appropriate dosage is given. For instance, children who are less than 3 years of age, the recommended dosage should not be more than 0.8 grams. Children in between 9 to 13 years of age are generally given a small dose of 1.2 grams.
Remember, although fish oil for children has plenty of health benefits, using it as instructed by the health care provider, can go a long way in keeping its side effects at bay. Fish oil overdose can trigger stomach problems in children, so one needs to consult a doctor, to know the correct dosage.
Impulsiveness, lack of attention and hyperactivity are the common traits of children with ADHD. All of these can make it hard to teach children in a school environment. Therefore it is important that when teaching ADHD children the day is carefully planned to try and ensure the children are kept organized and motivated to complete tasks.
Teachers who have ADHD children in their classes need to be accepting and accommodating of the condition. Although some children with ADHD may have learning difficulties that are associated with ADHD behaviors, they are not unintelligent, they just need to be given the right environment in which to learn.
So, what steps can be taken to effectively teach ADHD children? First and foremost, it helps to understand their uniqueness. Take a look at the list of strategies for teaching children with ADHD below.
• Introduce the child to an organized environment. When in school, make use of folders and dividers on his desk so he’ll be able to spot things easily. Also a color coding system to distinguish the textbook covers for specific subjects can be useful.
• Children with ADHD can struggle with writing and numerical work. Showing him how to use his finger or pencil across the pages when reading to help keep concentration and so he doesn’t lose his place. When writing, encourage him to use his fingers to specify spacing and graph paper is useful when writing numbers to keep things aligned.
• Reduce his homework. Too much homework can be really overwhelming for kids with ADHD. Better to give a lesser amount and have it completed than allocate a lot and have nothing back. As much as possible, give homework that involves the use of materials instead of requiring lots of writing.
• Provide a warm and welcoming classroom environment, but one that doesn’t offer too many distractions. Think about where you sit children with ADHD to allow them the best chance for concentrating.
• Always show the value of organization in the classroom. Give them time to fix his things by themselves.
• Be liberal with praise. Praise the good deeds and give rewards to those who did well in the schoolwork and homework. Positive feedback will generally work better than negative feedback.
• Monitor the child’s progress. Always have the parents involved.
• Be clear on when moving around is acceptable and when it’s not. Don’t expect them to sit in their seats all day.
• Encourage him to work in groups to encourage interaction with peers.
Parents can also find it hard to find solutions to ADHD behavior. However, it is essential that the parents of an ADHD child get involved with his progress and transition. Keep up to date with what’s happening at school and find out if there is actions you can take at home that will help cement what is being taught in school.
When it comes to homework it is important to be supportive, without actually doing the homework for your child.
Provide a quiet space that is free from distractions, both visual and aural. Take a look at what homework is required and ensure your child understands what they need to do. Answer any questions they have and provide the necessary materials, but then leave them to complete the work.
When the homework is finished review it with your child. If they’ve made mistakes or missed out a section, point it out, assure them that it is alright to make mistakes, but that mistakes need correcting. Always praise him for a good job.
For more teaching tips on helping ADHD children get through their schoolwork, sign up for the free ADHD newsletter below.
Teaching ADHD children can be challenging, but it also comes with rewards. By putting some simple strategies in place you can make the learning environment much easier for all concerned.