ADHD Alternative Treatment and Therapy
Is there an alternative treatment for ADD/ADHD for those who
prefer not to take medication?
There are several treatments and therapies designed for those
with
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that, when followed
consistently, have great success. Let's take a look
at
Behavior Modification,
Neurofeedback and a few Independent Therapies.
Behavior Modification
Most
doctors will suggest Behavior Modification
as the first non-medical line of defense for
treating ADD/ADHD. Behavior Modification involves
rewarding positive behavior in order to increase the frequency of such
behavior. On the opposite end, a person who exhibits negative
behavior
usually has something important to them taken away.
This type of alternative treatment is very effective with children especially when the parents and teachers are both actively involved. The key is to find things that REALLY motivate children and use them to affect their behavior.
Take for instance a child who loves getting stickers and whose favorite activity is playing on the Wii. If the child does a great job in school listening and following instructions, the teacher should immediately reward them with praise and a sticker. As the positive behavior continues the child continues to earn more stickers. But if the child suddenly starts to exhibit negative behavior, stops focusing and starts bouncing around the classroom, not only will they stop earning stickers but the stickers that they’ve already earned will get taken away.
This same strategy can be used at home with the Wii. Positive behavior leads to more time on the Wii and negative behavior results in no Wii time at all. This strategy ONLY works with things that are meaningful to the child. And it won’t take long for them to figure out that they need to work hard at staying focused and doing what it is they are supposed to be doing.
Parents are seeing great success using the Behavior Modification strategy along with the Total Transformation program. Behavioral Therapist James Lehman, MSW is the creator of the program and is helping parents worldwide stop behavior problems in children with ADHD within days. Parents are taking back control of their homes with no screaming, no arguing and no frustration.
Neurofeedback
Another alternative treatment widely accepted by the medical community is Neurofeedback. It’s a type of brain therapy where you use the power of your mind to control other objects.
As an alternative treatment for ADHD, participants are usually hooked up to electrodes then placed in front of a video screen full of images. The images on the screen will only move in the correct way if there is activity in certain areas of the brain. In essence the patient is playing a video game that can only continue playing if they use their brain to move the images. The actual movement of the objects on the screen is a form of “feedback”. The more the participant is rewarded with the movement of objects, the more they will use their brain. Their brain is therefore being trained to work more effectively by increasing the amount of beta waves.
Research shows that about 50% of children with ADD/ADHD who attend weekly neurofeedback sessions are able to reduce their medication significantly and 40% are able to discontinue medication altogether.
To hear one boy's story about how Neurofeeback changed his
life, watch the following video
Independent Therapies
In addition to the medically approved therapies like Behavior Modification and Neurofeedback, several companies have created their own programs aimed at treating ADD/ADHD without the use of medication. Among the most reputable ones are Interactive Metronome® , Learning Breakthrough™ and Brain Gym. Each requires patients to do physical activities that stimulate the brain in various ways. The results have been staggering, which makes these programs worth investigating as an alternative treatment.
Watch this video on the Interactive
Metronome® program
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Disclaimer: The above information is not provided by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding your medical condition. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read on this website.
