Medication may not be necessary

Despite the prolific use of stimulant medication to improve attention, serious side-effects can result including sudden death in children with no prior risk factors. Fortunately there are many ways that people with attention problems can improve their condition without resorting to prescription drug use.

Diet and Supplements:

Increasing consumption of protein at breakfast and lunch fuels the brain for work and attention. Specific supplements (Omega-3s) and homeopathic medicinals (Attend) are also available, without prescriptions, which have research evidence to demonstrate their effectiveness in improving symptoms of attention deficit.

Reduce Television Use:

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of three watch no television or screen entertainment, and children of all ages not have a TV in their bedrooms. Research reveals that early television exposure results in subsequent attentional problems in children and adolescents.

Exercise:

Getting out from behind the TV or computer screen and enjoying mild exercise pumps oxygen to the brain and stimulates brain growth. Research published in the American Journal of Public Health on ADHD children ages 5 to 18 revealed that kids showed fewer ADHD symptoms after spending daily time in nature, especially in green places like parks, backyards, and tree-lined streets.

Brain-Healthy Video Games:

The use of constructive video games to improve attention and memory is becoming a cottage industry, although the research in this area is still limited. BrainBuilder.com offers affordable software that can be purchased for use on a home computer and with practice reveals measurable gains in attention and memory.

Neurofeedback:

After nearly 40 years of research and clinical use, neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback) has now reached the highest level of clinical efficacy (“efficacious and specific”) for the treatment of inattention and impulsivity in ADD. No longer considered “experimental”, neurofeedback is able to train the brain to self-regulate and improve stability so that symptoms of inattention are reduced with lasting results. Neurofeedback is at the center of our therapeutic efforts to improve attention and memory.