According to the CDC, the percent of children ages 4-17 being diagnosed with ADHD is increasing.
The numbers have gone from 7.8% in 2003, to 9.5% in 2007, and to 11% in 2011-12.
According to The Parent Report in 2016, approximately 9.4% of children ages 2-17 (6.1 million) had ever been diagnosed with ADHD.
I too struggle with focus as an adult and suspect I’ve likely had issues during my primary education.
But this was not much of an issue back then as it is today.
If you observe the timeline, you can see the correlation between the increased use of electronic devices and ADHD in kids.
I also see the incidence of autoimmune disease is on the rise with over 23 million people living with some autoimmune condition.
My younger son has ADHD and I have an autoimmune disease. I can’t help but to see a correlation and link with the two conditions.
Parenting a Child with ADHD
My son began to have issues with attention in 3rd grade.
It began as a harmless issue that became a problem in 5th grade when he was expected to be more organized and independent with his study materials, as well as pay attention in class.
He would constantly fidget in his seat and be easily distracted. He began to have issues at home when I had to repeat myself multiple times to remind him to get his school materials together.
We’ve gone through losing multiple lunch boxes and water bottles, and I had to meet with his teachers at school for his issues.
He was tested and diagnosed with ADHD and of course offered medications. I hated it and avoided this for a while until it affected his school work.
I tried to change his diet, but he has issues with eating and is off the charts below average in his height and weight. It’s been a real struggle for me to find a solution.
So I resorted to the meds which improved his attention greatly, but as he gets older, I can’t help but to feel that there’s got to be a better way.
Distracted World
It is essential that children be able to filter out distractions, hold information in working memory and process that information in order to learn.
ADHD makes it difficult for children to sustain attention and focus. Action-packed video games, 500 channel cable services and increasingly larger class sizes are creating distractions all around them.
So, how can we naturally help children with ADHD?
Focus and concentration are dependent on what’s called the domain-general mechanism, or “jack of all trades” mechanism, of timing.
While domain-general mechanism might sound foreign, it is actually a principle at play right now in your brain.
Much of our lives revolve around timing.
Reading relies on timing. Sleep cycles rely on brain timing. Speaking is all about pauses and timing. Walking in rhythm relies on coordinated, timed movement, as does dancing. Even baking cookies is a matter of timing.
Synchronizing the body’s “internal clock” helps the functional brain networks communicate rhythmically and efficiently.
The efficient communication between the brain and body allows all systems to be working at peak levels.
When everything is working at the optimum level, the brain’s cognitive processes are free to work on memory, processing and coordinating action, all while still maintaining focus!
Interactive Metronome for ADHD
So as a parent of a child with ADHD, I wanted to introduce alternative treatment to help my son thrive without altering his brain chemistry with medication.
The more I learn, the more I feel this is the best option for my son.
Interactive Metronome® (IM) is an evidence-based assessment and training tool that measures & improves Neurotiming.
Neurotiming is the synchronization of neural impulses within key brain networks for cognitive, communicative, sensory & motor performance.
As the individual activates a trigger in time with a steady auditory beat, IM technology provides real-time auditory and visual feedback for millisecond timing.
Knowing whether he is hitting before, after, or exactly in sync with the beat to the millisecond allows him to make immediate corrections to improve timing & rhythm over the course of training.
Peer reviewed studies repeatedly confirm the importance of timing & rhythm for human performance.
According to IM research, improving Neurotiming can significantly improve ADHD without medications. What I love is that it’s a functional training tool to improve neurological programming.
And a study from Baylor University reveals that students who received “just 15 minutes of IM training, four days a week” in addition to language and reading intervention, demonstrated significant improvement in reading rate, fluency and comprehension over students who just received language and reading instruction.
Why is Timing Important?
Timing is everything. Timing is fundamental to everything that we do as humans, both spectacular things and simple things.
Precise timing is responsible for athletic performance or for orchestrating a symphony. It can even be key to delivering a funny punch line for a comedian.
Timing is responsible for a person being able to walk without falling or speak without stuttering.
Accurate and precise timing is what allows us to focus, process language, keep our balance while walking, play a sport, and even read.
Timing is responsible for the synchronous communication of our brains’ network system that connects cognitive processes and physical movement.
Therefore the ability to have accurate Neurotiming is one of the most critical factors in human performance.
Interactive metronome improves timing and neural processing.
We are so excited to announce that our Nutrition Therapist, Leslie Lipsius is now IM certified. She can help those diagnosed with ADHD to improve their function without taking mind altering medications.
If you or anyone you know struggles with ADHD, please call to schedule a consult with Leslie today! 678-335-5566.
As always, I hope you enjoyed this blog. Please subscribe to our newsletter on alkalinewellness.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
See you next week.