ADHD

Would you do everything you could to minimize the risk of your child having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Every parent would say YES to that question! But for many parents saying yes means saying no.

Although you can�t prevent ADHD you can reduce attention problems.  When your child is born spend time reading to them and as they grow allow them time to point to pictures and turn the page. As toddlers and young children, spend time putting puzzles together or playing board games. These types of activities give the brain time to process information and problem solve. Establish rules and stick with them. Children need consistency to learn right from wrong, take responsibility and make good choices. Lastly, limit their exposure to television and video games.

On average children spend 4 hours per day watching tv or playing video games. Images on tv change about every 6 seconds. Such rapid change does not allow their brains time to process the information into one continuous thought process. Some good alternative options on how to spend their time are sports, hobbies, playing with their friends, reading a good book or playing a strategy game which helps strengthen their ability to solve complex problems.

In a new study published in the August issue of Pediatrics, researchers assessed media usage by over 1,300 children in third to fifth grade for 13 months. They compared reports from parents and children about how much time they spent daily on these activities with teacher reports of attention problems from this group. They found that the children who spent more than 2 hours per day watching tv or playing video games were 1 � to 2 times more likely to have attention problems.

No one knows for sure what causes ADHD but we do know some of the things that can affect ADHD sufferers. A few small changes can impact your child�s development in big ways. It will pay off in the end!

For more information and resources on ADHD visit:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index.shtml

http://www.chadd.org/

http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/learning/adhd.html

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

http://www.healthychildren.org/english/health-issues/conditions/adhd/pages/understanding-ADHD.aspx




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