9 Drug-Free Approaches to Managing ADHD

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As a former elementary school principal, I am quite aware that attention difficulties are just the tip of the iceberg. ADHD children can't filter out distractions, finish tasks on-time, use their memory optimally, etc. A pill doesn't teach these skills.
My wife and I opted to use cognitive training for our son, Alex. We used Play Attention (www.playattention.com) and ADHD Nanny (www.adhdnanny.com). Play Attention has a special helmet lined with sensors. Alex can move screen characters by his mind alone! It makes him feel like Harry Potter. ADHD Nanny is a great organizational tool. We've been very successful with these approaches. We also changed our parenting skills with great success.
It's just important to know that medicine teaches nothing. Parents and teachers must actively participate to help change a child's life.

john glennon of NC 11:01AM August 14, 2009

A clinical psychologist, I've devoted much of my career to developing simple, safe and affordable ways for people of all ages to exercise greater control over their own attention. I invented a simple pager-like electronic device called a MotivAider that works privately and automatically to keep its user's attention focused. The MotivAider has proven effective in helping children with attention problems do a better job of staying on task. It's also helped teachers and parents consistently interact with children in constructive ways. Information about the MotivAider is available at http://HelpKidsChange.com.

Steve Levinson, Ph.D. of MN 4:45PM August 13, 2009

Megan. Thank you for bringing to our awareness the limitations of medication for the treatment of ADHD. You and your readers may be interested in learning about neurofeedback from the folks at ISNR.org, the international organization comprised of specialist neurofeedback clinicians and researchers. I applaud Eugene Arnold's effort at undertaking a quality, controlled study of neurofeedback, a new area of inquiry for him.
I would like to point out that Neurofeedback is no more difficult than psychotherapy (though it takes specialized training and supervised experience to learn), no more expensive than psychotherapy (and much less expensive than medication in the long run), and can be completed in just a few months. Much clear evidence has already accumulated over the years for its effectiveness in modifying the core symptoms of ADHD, including blinded and Sham controlled studies. Dr. Arnold's study has the potential to merely add to the pile.

Kirk Little of KY 7:44PM August 12, 2009

Diet plays a major part in managing ADHD, here are some other natural treatments for both ADD and ADHD: http://www.healthiertalk.com/natural-treatments-add-and-adhd-0256

Grace of MD 3:42PM August 12, 2009