Is it possible to be diagnosed with ADHD even if your child only has a few of the symptoms?

This is a question that many worried parents ask about their hyperactive or inattentive children.  The first thing you need to know about ADHD is that it is a very individual experience; some kids may have a lot of symptoms while some will only have a few.  No two children will have the exact same symptoms or problems.  The diagnosis, however, should depend on much more than just the quantity of the symptoms.

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The most popular ADHD natural treatments involve changing the way kids with ADHD think. After all, a child’s brain is still very malleable and can form new neural pathways to alter the way it thinks and responds to certain situations.  Wouldn’t it be better to just teach a child’s brain how to focus instead of using strong stimulants that cause serious side effects? Neurofeedback and Cogmed Working Memory Training are just some examples of brain therapies that help ADHD kids control their impulses.  Another option is the cognitive training programs from the Brain Potential Institute, which can now be done through the Internet.

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Does your ADHD child have difficulty falling asleep at night? You might want to keep the computer shut and encourage your child to put his or her mobile phone on silent mode as well.  According to a new study from the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, sending text messages and using other electronic communication devices during bedtime can aggravate ADHD symptoms the following morning.

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Just as there is more than one way to skin the proverbial cat, there are many ways to test for ADHD.  The UnRitalin Solution’s ADHD test protocol is designed to uncover the causes of the disorder, and the first step we take is to confirm that the child indeed has ADHD. ADHD cannot be diagnosed based on the symptoms alone because they resemble normal childhood behaviors or symptoms of other disorders.  In addition, doctors need input from parents, teachers, and relatives, who each have subjective interpretations on the severity of the child’s symptoms.

Recently, a company called BioBehavioral Diagnostics was able to design, test, and release an ADHD diagnostic system called the Quotient ADHD System.  This non-invasive device is the first FDA-approved diagnostic test for ADHD, and it claims to objectively measure the three symptoms of ADHD using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and motion sensors.

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Last week, the media had a field day over a study that presented new evidence for the genetic cause of ADHD.  This study, which was done by researchers from Cardiff University and published in the English journal The Lancet, revealed that children with ADHD are more likely to have missing or duplicated DNA segments.  The researchers also discovered that the ADHD-related DNA segments overlap the genetic variants detected in those with schizophrenia and autism.  But exactly how crucial are genetics in the ADHD puzzle? How much do genes influence ADHD?

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It’s a little-known fact that the underlying cause of ADHD may be due to a functional disconnection syndrome, a condition where the two hemispheres of the brain experience a breakdown in communication. This breakdown is often due to a developmental delay or weakness in one of the hemispheres. A brain with an underdeveloped hemisphere cannot function properly, causing symptoms like poor impulse control, oppositional behavior, and lack of focus.

While there is no fast and easy way to determine if a child has ADHD, researchers just developed a brain scan that can detect a functional disconnection syndrome in just five minutes. This brain scan uses an imaging technology called functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI), which measures the number of connections between the two brain hemispheres.  As opposed to traditional MRI scans, which only show brain activity, an fcMRI scan shows how the two hemispheres communicate with each other. Will this become a standard practice for ADHD testing?

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For some time now, we’ve been aware that environmental chemicals are one of the silent causes of ADHD. Many of these chemicals are neurotoxins – substances which act directly upon neurons and interfere with their functions – that linger in the environment for years. Symptoms of neurotoxin exposure include lack of concentration, personality changes, depression, and hyperactive behavior. In adults, exposure to these poisons can cause a range of health problems, from infertility to cancer. Children and babies, however, are uniquely affected by these chemicals due to their developing nervous systems and biological immaturity; they are unable to detoxify as efficiently as adults, and the rapid development of their brain processes makes the neurons more vulnerable to the effects of chemicals.  In other words, children are helpless against these toxins and are more likely to suffer from ADHD, autism, and other psychological disorders with prolonged exposure.

What most people don’t realize is that you don’t have to live near a polluted area to be exposed to these chemicals; neurotoxins lurk in the products you use daily and the food you eat.  Current research reveals four everyday chemicals linked to childhood ADHD. Find out what they are and what you can do to avoid them.

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Most pediatricians and psychiatrists diagnose ADHD based on a series of criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).  According to the DSM-IV, there are three types of ADHD: inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type, and combined type.  But did you know that there are more than three types of ADHD?

Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen has handled hundreds of children and adults with ADHD and developed a special brain imaging technique called the SPECT test to help him find the cause of the condition.  His work on SPECT imaging made him realize the full complexity of the disorder.  Over the years, he noticed that there are six distinct SPECT patterns in his ADHD patients, and that each requires a specialized treatment. Based on these observations, Dr. Amen came up with the six types of ADHD.

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Many allergies cause itchy skin or watery eyes, but some allergic reactions manifest themselves in hyperactive, even violent behavior. Allergy specialist Dr. Doris Rapp has worked with children for decades and is quite appalled to see so many of them being using off-label drugs (drugs that have not been fully evaluated for their safety) for their ADHD symptoms. Many cases of ADHD, she says, are actually due to allergic reactions to food, mold, dust, or chemicals. Watch this amazing video to see exactly how certain foods make a dramatic difference in a child’s behavior.

It’s quite shocking to see how eating the wrong food has such a profound effect on a child’s personality, outlook, and behavior. It’s just as amazing to know that getting rid of the allergenic substance was enough to turn a screaming, flailing child into a calm, peaceful one.

There are two ways to find out if your child’s ADHD symptoms are caused by allergies. The first is through a specialized allergy testing, which is only available among alternative medical practitioners. However, these tests have a serious limitation – although they can confirm any brain-based allergic reactions, they cannot identify exactly what food or substance your child is allergic to. The best way to go about doing this is to go on the allergy diet proposed by Dr. Rapp, also known as the rotation diet. It might be difficult to get used to the rhythm of a rotation diet at first, but you can stop it as soon as you have identified the food your child is allergic to. Start by rotating wheat products and dairy products as these contain gluten and casein, two proteins that are notorious for their impact on behavior and brain activity.

If your child is anything like the children you’ve seen in the video, and if nothing you have done made a difference in your child’s behavior, try to pick up a copy of Dr. Rapp’s book “Is This Your Child?”. This 600-page book is one of the comprehensive resources on allergies, ADHD, and other realistic solutions that will get rid of your child’s problematic behavior.

Have you ever tried touching a baby’s hand? Try doing so the next time you encounter a baby, and you’ll notice that he or she will automatically grip your finger in response. This endearing behavior is actually one of the baby’s many neonatal or reflexes – a primitive set of automatic reactions to specific stimuli. Babies’ neonatal reflexes are located in the most primitive part of the brain, the brainstem, and have evolved to protect them from harm and to aid in their neurological development. As the baby grows up, the reflexes in the brain stem comes under the control of regions like the cerebral cortex, which are responsible for more evolved thinking.

Sometimes, the integration between primitive reflexes and higher thinking does not happen correctly, meaning the baby carries the primitive reflexes onto childhood. This occurrence is referred to as retained primitive reflexes. Its causes are unknown, but experts in this field suggest that it might be due to physical, hormonal, or chemical trauma in the womb. Caesarean birth or a traumatic birth (i.e. the use of foreceps) can also contribute to a retrained primitive reflex.

What happens to a child who kept his or her primitive reflexes? The symptoms depend on which specific primitive reflex failed to integrate with the rest of the central nervous system. You’ll notice that many of these problems are among the diagnostic symptoms of ADHD.

• A retained Moro reflex results in the inability to control emotions. The child might be aggressive, insensitive, but also loving and compassionate. This may also cause a hypersensitivity to touch, light, and textures.
• A retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex can lead to inattention, the inability to complete writing tasks, and difficulty walking.
• A retained Fear Paralysis Reflex causes fear and anxiety about new environments and situations, making the child withdraw from other children and strangers.
• A retained Spinal Galant Reflex causes hyperactivity, difficulty staying in one place, inattention, and bedwetting.
• A retained Tonic Labyrinthe Reflex leads to a child who has disturbed balance, problems with hearing, difficulties learning to walk and judge distances
• A retained Infant Planter Reflex causes curled toes, which results in issues with balance and walking. Common symptoms are ingrown toenails, shin soreness, and twisted angles.
• Retained Sucking and Rooting Reflexes result in problems with speech, eating, and chewing.

The relationship between retained primitive reflexes and ADHD has not been fully examined until an Australian study recruited 109 boys, 54 of which were diagnosed with ADHD. The boys’ parents were asked to fill the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale to confirm the ADHD symptoms, whereas the boys were asked to do certain reflex tests to check for any retained reflexes. Those without ADHD were found to have fewer symptoms of retained reflexes than the ADHD group, who had higher levels of Moro Reflexes, Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflexes, and Tonic Labyrinthe Reflexes. Although these findings are only preliminary, it shows some support to the relationship between retained primitive reflexes and ADHD symptoms. Retained primitive reflexes can be treated and reintegrated through chiropractic adjustments.