Natural Help for Students with ADHD
August 21, 2008 by Peggy
In case you don’t know it, I was a public high school English teacher for a short while. I didn’t last very long, but I taught enough to experience some of the most challenging students you can imagine.
What kind of challenges am I talking about?
Besides behaviors like sleeping in class, abusing drugs, making threats, refusing to stop talking and not completing any assignments, I also dealt with one student who had severe Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I know that many people think it’s not real. Perhaps it’s over-diagnosed, but it’s very real.
This student was smarter than his test scores indicated. I taught three regular English classes and one for students who had failed their state tests needed for graduation. Half of the students in my developmental class passed their state tests on the second round. The student with ADHD didn’t pass. Know why?
He refused to complete the test.
I didn’t create the system that mandated all students must pass the same standardized test in order to graduate, but I had to follow the rules. I have no idea if he ever graduated. I left the school, but I think of him each time I hear about someone with ADHD.
Marye at Simply Home Remedies has dealt with this disorder on a personal level, and she’s not afraid to talk about it. In fact, she’s doing a series on Natural Remedies for ADHD. Here’s a taste of Part One: Diet.
Are you surprised that diet can play a role in controlling behavioral disorders?
Image via flickr.
thanks Peggy!
Thank you for this link! I have been looking for this type of information for some time now, and it’s hard to come by!
Welcome Marye.
Breeni – glad I could pass it along.
I suffer from a sensory modulation disorder (an overly simplified explanation is that my fight or flight response is over-responsive, leading to all sorts of problems) and aspects of diet play a strong role in how well I am able to manage. So many additives increase my sensitivity. When I was younger, I suspected that I had ADD. I believe the ADD/ ADHD label describes a symptom rather than an narrowly idenditifed condition or cause. Causes could range from additives built up in the nervous system (like chemical food dyes), allergies, sensory disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome. . . The idea that diet can help with ADD/ADHD symptoms makes a lot of sense to me.
I want to clarify: I believe that the symptoms of ADD/ADHD are real and that people suffer from them. I believe that in many cases, the label is not specific enough and for many people does not describe the root problem. I also believe that the common lifestyles (including issues with diet, exercise, healthcare, and even entertainment) of our culture have led to such widespread suffering of symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD.
Katherine, I think there’s still much to be learned. I agree that the ADD tag seems to be applied too broadly.