Real Results for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.

It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue, can be severe, and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends.

A child with ADHD might:

• daydream a lot
• forget or lose things a lot
• squirm or fidget
• talk too much
• make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks
• have a hard time resisting temptation
• have trouble taking turns
• have difficulty getting along with others

There are three different ways ADHD presents itself, depending on which types of symptoms are strongest in the individual:

• Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: It is hard for the individual to organize or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted or forgets details of daily routines.
• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation: The person fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long (e.g., for a meal or while doing homework). Smaller children may run, jump, or climb constantly. The individual feels restless and has trouble with impulsiveness. Someone who is impulsive may interrupt others a lot, grab things from people, or speak at inappropriate times. It is hard for the person to wait their turn or listen to directions. A person with impulsiveness may have more accidents and injuries than others.
• Combined Presentation: Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in the person.

Because symptoms can change over time, the presentation may change over time as well.

The NeuroFiT Program is specifically designed to help those with ADHD.  Start with an assessment, which will determine exactly what’s going on in the child’s brain, followed by a program as unique as the child.

Research shows that ADHD is caused by the lack of maturation of the brain because of retained Primitive Reflexes. Further complicating the issue is the lack of physical movement of the body.

One of the primitive reflexes you might be familiar with is the rooting reflex which causes a baby’s head to turn when rubbing a finger or nipple along the cheek. This reflex is normally present at birth and fully integrated by four months of age. If the reflex is still present after four months, you might see poor articulation and speech issues, tactile sensitivity around the face, poor manual dexterity, and fine motor skills, picky or selective eating, and chewing on fingernails, clothing, pens, etc.

There is no single cause for retained primitive reflexes, nor is there a place to lay blame. The issue could have been created in utero, during birth, or at any time and for any number of reasons that are out of your control. Chances are the more severe the developmental delay, the more of a combination of things it was.

The NeuroFiT Program uses a combination of physical, sensory, and cognitive activities to integrate retained primitive reflexes and stimulate the weaker hemisphere of the brain resulting in the lessening or removal of the social, emotional, behavioral, and academic issues that are part of ADHD.  Start with an assessment, which will determine exactly what’s going on in the child’s brain, followed by a program as unique as the child.

The ADHD rating scale is specifically for children and adolescents with ADHD that has been updated to correspond with the DSM-5. The rating scales has several versions which correspond to different age groups (5-10 years old and 11-17 years old) as well as different settings (home and school).

The Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) measures aspects of ADHD in adults that are consistent with the 18 DSM-5 symptoms.

Both scales measure how ADHD symptoms can affect behavior such as hyperactivity/impulsivity, restlessness, and inattention.

Symptoms of inattention

• Makes careless mistakes/lacks attention to detail
• Lacks sustained attention in tasks or fun activities
• Poor listener, even in the absence of obvious distraction
• Fails to follow through on tasks and instructions
• Difficulty with organization, time management, and deadlines
• Avoids tasks requiring sustained mental effort
• Loses things necessary for tasks or activities
• Easily distracted (including unrelated thoughts)
• Forgetful in daily activities
• Procrastinates and puts off tasks until the last moment possible

Symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity

• Fidgets, taps hands, or squirms in seat
• Leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected
• Excessive running/climbing or feelings of restlessness
• Often “on the go”; acting as if “driven by a motor”
• Difficulty with quiet, leisure activities
• Excessive talking
• Blurts out answers before questions are even completed
• Difficulty waiting turn
• Interrupts or intrudes on others

A diagnosis is not required for us to determine if there’s an issue and how that issue can be resolved.  Our assessment covers ten critical areas of development.

Book an assessment today to discover more.

Understanding, embracing, and celebrating different ways of thinking and doing can release the true power of the ADHD mind.

• Self-awareness
  - Monitors own behavior
  - Checks and suppresses behaviors
• Hyperfocus
  - Can focus on a task for hours
  - Can tune out everything
• Advocates for self
  - Self-aware
  - Speaks up
• Communication skills
  - Often starts intriguing conversations
  - Says what’s on the mind
• Emotional vulnerability
  - Wears heart on sleeve
  - Willing to address emotions
• Resourceful
  - quick and clever
  - skilled at problem solving
• Innovative thinkers
  - Thinks outside box
  - Excellent at brainstorming
• Impulsivity & playfulness
  - Spontaneous
  - Loves to have fun
• Spontaneity
  - Follows feelings
  - Acts on impulse
• High risk tolerance
  - Willing to do more than most
  - Not afraid to be in awkward situations
• Creativity
  - Great problem solvers
  - Thinks outside the box
• Resilience
  - Pushes past setbacks
  - Bounces back from issues
• Compassion
  - Sensitive to emotions of others
  - Desires to support others
• Distress tolerance
  - Manages actual or perceived emotional issues
  - Has coping skills for distress
• Higher levels of energy
  - Can work for hours
  - Prefers to keep busy
• Open conversations
  - Expects clear communication
  - Always straightforward

Cherish these benefits. After completing the NeuroFiT Connections program, you’ll still retain these benefits while removing or reducing all the drawbacks of the disorder.

Book an assessment today to discover more.

Neurotypical is a term used to describe people whose brains function in a way that is considered typical or standard. Neurotypical people tend to learn and develop at a similar pace to their peers, and they have a good understanding of social norms and expectations.

Depending on the developmental issue, a student (what we call a “patient”) has certain benefits of their disorder. For example, those with ADHD tend to be self-aware, spontaneous, hyperfocused, creative, resilient, and resourceful.  After completing their NeuroFiT Connections program, these benefits will be retained. What will change is the social, emotional, behavioral, and the academic challenges the student faces.

Book an assessment today to discover more.

According to the Oxford dictionary, the word “cure” means to “relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition” or to “solve a problem”.

Most experts believe that there is no cure for ADHD. Rather than a cure, the focus of a majority of practitioners is on treatment, support, and skills development which may involve behavioral, psychological, and educational therapy.

At NeuroFiT Connections, we take a different approach.  We know that the core issue in a child with ADHD is an imbalance in the neuropathways between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.  This imbalance is primarily caused by retained primitive reflexes.  By integrating the reflexes, stimulating the weaker hemisphere, and stabilizing the core, we solve the root cause of the issue.

Will your child ever be relieved of the symptoms of the condition?  Most of the negative aspects of ADHD will disappear when your child has completed their program.  Does this constitute being “cured”?  We will let you decide. 

Book an assessment today to discover more.

Children are readily diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) due to sleeping troubles, careless mistakes, fidgeting, or forgetfulness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source cites ADHD as the most diagnosed neurobehavioral condition in children under 18.

However, many medical conditions in children can mirror ADHD symptoms, which can make getting a correct diagnosis difficult.

Rather than jump to conclusions, it’s important to consider alternative explanations to ensure an accurate diagnosis and treatment.

ADHD and Bipolar disorder

The most difficult differential diagnosis for doctors to make is between ADHD and bipolar disorder. These two conditions are often hard to distinguish because they share several symptoms, including:

• mood changes
• outbursts
• restlessness
• talkativeness
• impatience

ADHD is characterized primarily by:

• inattention
• distractibility
• impulsivity
• physical restlessness

Bipolar disorder causes more severe shifts in:

• mood
• energy
• thinking
• behavior

While bipolar disorder is primarily a mood disorder, ADHD affects attention and behavior.

There are many distinct differences between ADHD and bipolar disorder, but they’re subtle and may go unnoticed. ADHD is generally first noticed in children, while bipolar disorder tends to develop in late adolescence or early adulthood (although some cases may be diagnosed earlier).

ADHD symptoms occur continuously, while bipolar disorder symptoms are usually episodic. Bipolar disorder symptoms may not occur during periods between episodes of mania or depression.

Children with ADHD may have trouble with sensory overstimulation, like transitions from one activity to the next. Children with bipolar disorder typically respond to disciplinary actions and conflict with authority figures.

Depression, irritability, and memory loss are common after a symptomatic period for people with bipolar disorder and can even be found in people with ADHD. However, these symptoms are often secondary to symptoms related to attention and concentration.

The moods of someone with ADHD approach suddenly and can dissipate quickly, often within 20 to 30 minutes. The mood shifts seen in bipolar disorder last longer.

To confirm a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, a major depressive episode must last for 2 weeks, while a manic episode must last at least 1 week with symptoms present for most of the day, nearly every day. The duration may be less if symptoms become so severe that hospitalization becomes necessary.

Hypomanic episodes, or less severe manic episodes, generally last a few days.

People with bipolar disorder appear to display ADHD symptoms during manic episodes, such as restlessness, trouble sleeping, and hyperactivity.

During depressive episodes, symptoms such as lack of focus, lethargy, and inattention can also mirror those of ADHD. However, people with bipolar disorder may have trouble falling asleep or may sleep too much. People with ADHD can have similar sleep issues due to hyperactivity and restlessness, but they’re more common with bipolar disorder.

Children with ADHD tend to wake up quickly and become alert immediately. They may have trouble falling asleep but can usually manage to sleep through the night without interruption.

The misbehavior of children with ADHD and children with bipolar disorder is usually accidental. Ignoring authority figures, running into things, and making messes is often the result of inattentiveness, but it may also be a result of a manic episode.

ADHD and ASD

Children with autism spectrum disorder often appear detached from their environments and may struggle with social interactions. In some cases, the behavior of autistic children may mimic the hyperactivity and social development issues common in children with ADHD.

Other behaviors may include emotional immaturity, which may also be seen with ADHD.

Social skills and the ability to learn may be inhibited in children with both conditions, which can cause issues in school and at home.

ADHD and Hypoglycemia

Something as simple as low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can also mimic the symptoms of ADHD.

Hypoglycemia in children may cause:

• uncharacteristic aggression
• hyperactivity
• inability to sit still
• inability to concentrate

ADHD and SPD

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) can produce symptoms like ADHD. SPD is marked by under or oversensitivity to:

• touch
• movement
• body position
• sound
• taste
• sight
• smell

For example, children with SPD may be sensitive to a certain fabric. They may fluctuate from one activity to the next, and they may be prone to accidents or have difficulty paying attention, especially if they feel overwhelmed.

ADHD and Sleep disorders

Children with ADHD may have difficulty calming down and falling asleep. However, some children with sleep disorders may display symptoms of ADHD during waking hours without having the condition.

Lack of sleep causes difficulty concentrating, communicating, and following directions. It also creates a decrease in short-term memory.

ADHD and hearing problems

It may be difficult to diagnose hearing problems in young children who don’t know how to fully express themselves. Children with hearing problems have a hard time paying attention because of their inability to hear properly.

Missing details of conversations may appear to be caused by the child’s lack of focus, when in fact they simply can’t follow along.

Children with hearing problems may also have difficulty in social situations and have underdeveloped communication techniques.

ADHD and normal behavior

Some children with an ADHD diagnosis are misdiagnosed and don’t have ADHD or any other health condition. They’re simply being themselves, such as easily excitable or bored.

According to a 2012 study, the age of a child relative to their peers has been shown to influence a teacher’s perception of whether they have ADHD.

Researchers found that children who are young for their grade level may be misdiagnosed with ADHD because teachers mistake their normal immaturity for ADHD.

Children who, in fact, have higher levels of intelligence than their peers may also get misdiagnosed with ADHD because they grow bored in classes that they feel are too easy.

A diagnosis is not required for us to determine if there’s an issue and how that issue can be resolved.  Book an assessment today to discover more.

There isn’t anything you did or did not do to cause your child’s ADHD. 

Research shows that ADHD is caused by the lack of maturation of the brain because of retained Primitive Reflexes.  Further complicating the issue is the lack of physical movement of the body. 

One of the primitive reflexes you might be familiar with is the rooting reflex which causes a baby’s head to turn when rubbing a finger or nipple along the cheek.  This reflex is normally present at birth and fully integrated by four months of age.  If the reflex is still present after four months, you might see poor articulation and speech issues, tactile sensitivity around the face, poor manual dexterity, and fine motor skills, picky or selective eating, and chewing on fingernails, clothing, pens, etc. 

There is no single cause for retained primitive reflexes, nor is there a place to lay blame.  The issue could have been created in utero, during birth, or at any time and for any number of reasons that are out of your control. Chances are the more severe the developmental delay, the more of a combination of things it was.

Start with an assessment, which will determine exactly what’s going on in the child’s brain, followed by a program as unique as your child.

If you consider “normal” to mean “neurotypical”, then no.  Neurotypical is a term used to describe people whose brains function in a way that is considered typical or standard. Neurotypical people tend to learn and develop at a similar pace to their peers, and they have a good understanding of social norms and expectations.

ADHD students (what we call “patients”) have certain benefits of their disorder.  Those with ADHD tend to be self-aware, spontaneous, hyperfocused, creative, resilient, and resourceful.  After completing their NeuroFiT Connections program, these benefits will be retained.  What will change is the social, emotional, behavioral, and the academic challenges the student faces.

Start with an assessment, which will determine exactly what’s going on in the child’s brain, followed by a program as unique as the child.

The best thing you can do for your child is to understand what’s going on in their brain and take the necessary steps to correct the issue.

Research shows that ADHD is caused by the lack of maturation of the brain because of retained Primitive Reflexes, which causes the neuropathways of right hemisphere of the brain to be less developed than the left hemisphere.

The NeuroFiT Program uses a combination of physical, sensory, and cognitive activities to integrate retained primitive reflexes and stimulate the weaker hemisphere of the brain resulting in the lessening or removal of the social, emotional, behavioral, and academic issues that are part of ADHD.  Start with an assessment, which will determine exactly what’s going on in the child’s brain, followed by a program as unique as the child.

On the other hand, if your intent is to manage your child’s ADHD, here are some ways you can help your child achieve success and happiness.

1. Stay positive and healthy yourself: As a parent, you set the stage for your child's emotional and physical health. You have control over many of the factors that can positively influence the symptoms of your child's disorder.

Maintain a positive attitude. Your best assets for helping your child meet the challenges of ADHD are your positive attitude and common sense. When you are calm and focused, you are more likely to be able to connect with your child, helping him or her to be calm and focused as well.

Keep things in perspective. Remember that your child's behavior is related to a disorder. Most of the time it is not intentional. Hold on to your sense of humor. What's embarrassing today may be a funny family story ten years from now.

Don't sweat the small stuff and be willing to make some compromises. One chore left undone isn't a big deal when your child has completed two others plus the day's homework. If you are a perfectionist, you will not only be constantly dissatisfied but also create impossible expectations for your child with ADHD.

Believe in your child. Think about or make a written list of everything that is positive, valuable, and unique about your child. Trust that your child can learn, change, mature, and succeed. Reaffirm this trust on a daily basis as you brush your teeth or make your coffee.

As your child's role model and most important source of strength, it is vital that you live a healthy life. If you are overtired or have simply run out of patience, you risk losing sight of the structure and support you have so carefully set up for your child with ADHD.

Seek support. One of the most important things to remember in rearing a child with ADHD is that you don't have to do it alone. Talk to your child's doctors, therapists, and teachers. Join an organized support group for parents of children with ADHD. These groups offer a forum for giving and receiving advice, and provide a safe place to vent feelings and share experiences.

Take breaks. Friends and family can be wonderful about offering to babysit, but you may feel guilty about leaving your child, or leaving the volunteer with a child with ADHD. Next time, accept their offer and discuss honestly how best to handle your child.

Take care of yourself. Eat right, exercise, and find ways to reduce stress, whether it means taking a nightly bath or practicing morning meditation. If you do get sick, acknowledge it and get help.

2. Establish structure and stick to it: Children with ADHD are more likely to succeed in completing tasks when the tasks occur in predictable patterns and in predictable places. Your job is to create and sustain structure in your home, so that your child knows what to expect and what they are expected to do.

Tips for helping your child with ADHD stay focused and organized:

Follow a routine. It is important to set a time and a place for everything to help the child with ADHD understand and meet expectations. Establish simple and predictable rituals for meals, homework, play, and bed. Have your child lay out clothes for the next morning before going to bed, and make sure whatever he or she needs to take to school is in a special place, ready to grab.

Use clocks and timers. Consider placing clocks throughout the house, with a big one in your child's bedroom. Allow enough time for what your child needs to do, such as homework or getting ready in the morning. Use a timer for homework or transitional times, such as between finishing up play and getting ready for bed.

Simplify your child's schedule. It is good to avoid idle time, but a child with ADHD may become more distracted and “wound up” if there are many after-school activities. You may need to adjust the child's after-school commitments based on the individual child's abilities and the demands of particular activities.

Create a quiet place. Make sure your child has a quiet, private space of their own. A porch or a bedroom work well, as long as it's not the same place as the child goes for a time-out.

Do your best to be neat and organized. Set up your home in an organized way. Make sure your child knows that everything has its place. Lead by example with neatness and organization as much as possible.

Avoid problems by keeping kids with ADHD busy!

For kids with ADHD, idle time may exacerbate their symptoms and create chaos in your home. It is important to keep a child with ADHD busy without piling on so many things that the child becomes overwhelmed.

Sign your child up for a sport, gymnastics, art class, or music. At home, organize simple activities that fill up your child's time. These can be tasks like helping you cook, playing a board game with a sibling, or drawing a picture. Try not to over-rely on the television or computer/video games as time-fillers. Unfortunately, TV and video games are increasingly violent in nature and may only increase your child's symptoms of ADHD.  Using devices too much will have an adverse effect on brain development.

3. Encourage movement and sleep: Children with ADHD often have energy to burn. Organized sports and other physical activities can help them get their energy out in healthy ways and focus their attention on specific movements and skills. The benefits of physical activity are endless: it improves concentration, decreases depression and anxiety, and promotes brain growth. Most importantly for children with attention deficits, however, is the fact that exercise leads to better sleep, which in turn can also reduce the symptoms of ADHD.

Find a sport that your child will enjoy and that suits their strengths. For example, sports such as softball that involve a lot of “down time” are not the best fit for children with attention problems. Individual or team sports like basketball and hockey that require constant motion are better options. Children with ADHD may also benefit from training in martial arts (such as tae kwon do) or yoga, which enhance mental control as they work out the body.

The benefits of “green time” in kids with attention deficit disorder

Research shows that children with ADHD benefit from spending time in nature. Kids experience a greater reduction of symptoms of ADHD when they play in a park full of grass and trees than on a concrete playground. Take note of this promising and simple approach to managing ADHD. Even in cities, most families have access to parks and other natural settings. Join your children in this “green time”—you'll also get a much-deserved breath of fresh air for yourself.

Insufficient sleep can make anyone less attentive, but it can be highly detrimental for children with ADHD. Kids with ADHD need at least as much sleep as their unaffected peers but tend not to get what they need. Their attention problems can lead to overstimulation and trouble falling asleep. A consistent, early bedtime is the most helpful strategy to combat this problem, but it may not completely solve it.

Help your child get better rest by trying out one or more of the following strategies:

• Decrease television time and increase your child's activities and exercise levels during the day.
• Eliminate caffeine from your child's diet.
• Create a buffer time to lower the activity level for an hour or so before bedtime. Find quieter activities such as coloring, reading, or playing quietly.
• Spend ten minutes cuddling with your child. This will build a sense of love and security as well as provide a time to calm down.
• Use lavender or other aromas in your child's room. The scent may help to calm your child.
• Use relaxation tapes as background noise for your child when falling asleep. There are many varieties available including nature sounds and calming music. Children with ADHD often find “white noise” to be calming. You can create white noise by putting a radio on static or running an electric fan.

 

4. Set clear expectations and rules: Children with ADHD need consistent rules that they can understand and follow. Make the rules of behavior for the family simple and clear. Write down the rules and hang them up in a place where your child can easily read them.

Children with ADHD respond particularly well to organized systems of rewards and consequences. It's important to explain what will happen when the rules are obeyed and when they are broken. Finally, stick to your system: follow through every time with a reward or a consequence.

As you establish these consistent structures, keep in mind that children with ADHD often receive criticism. Be on the lookout for good behavior—and praise it. Praise is especially important for children who have ADHD because they typically get so little of it. These children receive correction, remediation, and complaints about their behavior—but little positive reinforcement.

A smile, positive comment, or other reward from you can improve the attention, concentration and impulse control of your child with ADHD. Do your best to focus on giving positive praise for appropriate behavior and task completion, while giving as few negative responses as possible to inappropriate behavior or poor task performance. Reward your child for small achievements that you might take for granted in another child.

Using Rewards and Consequences

Rewards

• Reward your child with privileges, praise, or activities, rather than with food or toys.
• Change rewards frequently. Kids with ADHD get bored if the reward is always the same.
• Make a chart with points or stars awarded for good behavior, so your child has a visual reminder of their successes.
• Immediate rewards work better than the promise of a future reward, but small rewards leading to a big one can also work.
• Always follow through with a reward.

Consequences

• The consequences should be spelled out in advance and occur immediately after your child has misbehaved.
• Try time-outs and the removal of privileges as consequences for misbehavior.
• Remove your child from situations and environments that trigger inappropriate behavior.
• When your child misbehaves, ask what he or she could have done instead. Then have your child demonstrate it.
• Always follow through with a consequence.

 

5. Help your child eat right: Diet is not a direct cause of attention deficit disorder, but food can and does affect your child's mental state, which in turn seems to affect behavior. Monitoring and modifying what, when, and how much your child eats can help decrease the symptoms of ADHD.

All children benefit from fresh food, regular mealtimes, and staying away from junk food. These tenets are especially true for children with ADHD, whose impulsiveness and distractedness can lead to missed meals, disordered eating, and overeating.

Children with ADHD are notorious for not eating regularly. Without parental guidance, these children might not eat for hours and then binge on whatever is around. The result of this pattern can be devastating to the child's physical and emotional health.

Prevent unhealthy eating habits by scheduling regular nutritious meals or snacks for your child no more than three hours apart. Physically, a child with ADHD needs a regular intake of healthy food; mentally, mealtimes are a necessary break and a scheduled rhythm to the day.

Get rid of the junk foods in your home.

• Put fatty and sugary foods off-limits when eating out.
• Turn off television shows riddled with junk-food ads.
• Give your child a daily vitamin-and-mineral supplement.

 

 6. Teach your child how to make friends: Children with ADHD often have difficulty with simple social interactions. They may struggle with reading social cues, talk too much, interrupt frequently, or come off as aggressive or “too intense.” Their relative emotional immaturity can make them stand out among children their own age and make them targets for unfriendly teasing.

Don't forget, though, that many kids with ADHD are exceptionally intelligent and creative and will eventually figure out for themselves how to get along with others and spot people who aren't appropriate as friends. Moreover, personality traits that might exasperate parents and teachers may come across to peers as funny and charming.

It's hard for children with ADHD to learn social skills and social rules. You can help your child with ADHD become a better listener, learn to read people's faces, body language, and interact more smoothly in groups.

• Speak gently but honestly with your child about their challenges and how to make changes.
• Role-play various social scenarios with your child. Trade roles often and try to make it fun.
• Be careful to select playmates for your child with similar language and physical skills.
• Invite only one or two friends at a time at first. Watch them closely while they play and have a zero-tolerance policy for hitting, pushing, and yelling.

Make time and space for your child to play, and reward good play behavio

Parents who have a child with ADHD commonly wonder if they can lead a "normal" life. If that means being independent and otherwise living like neurotypical people, there is no simple answer.

After completing their custom NeuroFiT Connections program, children with ADHD will still retain the benefits of ADHD such as self-awareness, spontaneity, hyperfocus, creativity, resilience, and resourcefulness while removing or reducing the negative aspects of ADHD.  The result is that a NeuroFiT kid will be able to live a normal or near normal life.  Schedule a call with a Cognitive Coach to discover more.

Without NeuroFiT Connections, ADHD children will grow up with all the benefits they currently have as well as all the drawbacks. 

Exercise not only helps ADHD children better engage in the environment, but it also helps promote weight loss, helps improve cognition, and leads to better overall health. Full-body exercises are best for ADHD kids to increase coordination, strength, endurance, and body awareness.

Your NeuroFiT Connections Cognitive Coach will provide your child with a set of exercises to help them grow stronger.  These will take no more than 30 minutes a day.  Book an assessment today to find out what’s going on in your child’s brain.

As required by federal law, all public schools must make certain accommodations for any child struggling with a learning or developmental disability—including children diagnosed with ADHD. In some cases, a child may benefit from an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which would require the child, parents, and teachers to work together in planned meetings to set appropriate goals, discuss strategies for success, and implement appropriate accommodations.

While these options are available, there are still steps that must be taken prior to the implementation of any IEP or education plan. According to Doctor David Rabiner, in his article "Obtaining Educational Services for Children with ADHD," he explains: "public schools have certain procedures that must be followed prior to providing special services for any child."

While a parent can request that their child be evaluated for special services or IEP at any time, teachers may also initiate such requests as well. After a request is submitted, the child will generally be evaluated with vision and hearing screenings, most likely be observed in class, and his or her tests may also be evaluated.

The NeuroFiT Connections Assessment Results report may be used by the school system to determine whether an IEP is warranted for your child.  Furthermore, after completing their custom NeuroFiT Connections program, ADHD children will still retain the benefits of ADHD such as self-awareness, spontaneity, hyperfocus, creativity, resilience, and resourcefulness while removing or reducing the negative aspects of ADHD making public school easier.  Schedule a call with a Cognitive Coach to discover more.

A healthy diet is an important lifestyle component that protects against long term health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. But did you know that eating a healthy diet may also improve attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms?

ADHD is a common brain-based disorder that affects nearly one in 10 children in the United States. It can affect the child’s ability to organize, plan, and manage their thoughts and actions. Although an unhealthy diet does not cause ADHD, there are several reasons why a healthy diet may reduce ADHD symptoms:

• The brain requires energy and many nutrients to function optimally, and a healthy diet supplies a higher amount of the most beneficial nutrients.
• Research shows that many children with ADHD may have low levels of nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for brain function.
• Children diagnosed with ADHD have an increased chance of developing poor dietary habits in the future. Teaching children with ADHD healthy eating habits early in life may help change this.

As part of the NeuroFiT Connections program, we provide an elimination diet, access to a registered dietician, and probiotics to help avoid inflammation in the brain. 

Schedule a call with a Cognitive Coach to discover more.

Yes, medication can help individuals with ADHD. ADHD medication works by increasing the levels of important chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. This helps improve the symptoms of ADHD, including increasing attention span, reducing hyperactivity, controlling impulsive behavior, and managing executive dysfunction.

It can take time to find the right ADHD medication for you, but once you do, you’ll likely see an improvement in your symptoms. The drugs usually prescribed to treat ADHD are generally effective and safe. Most children and teenagers (60 percent to 80 percent) who take them become less hyperactive and impulsive, are better able to focus, and are less disruptive at home and school.

It is important to note that medication doesn’t cure ADHD. It can help ease the symptoms of ADHD while you or your child is taking it so you can function more effectively.

While we do not recommend medication for our students (what we call our “patients”), being on medication does not preclude the ability of our students to go through their program.  We do recommend that our students re-visit their primary care physician to determine if the medication is still required after they’ve completed their program.

Schedule a call with a Cognitive Coach to discover more.

Deciding if your child has ADHD is a process with several steps. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems, like sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have similar symptoms.

The first step is to talk with a healthcare provider to find out if the symptoms fit the diagnosis. The diagnosis can be made by a mental health professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist, or by a primary care provider, like a pediatrician.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that healthcare providers ask parents, teachers, and other adults who care for your child about the child’s behavior in different settings, like at home, school, or with peers. Read more about the recommendations.

The healthcare provider should also determine whether your child has another condition that can either explain the symptoms better, or that occurs at the same time as ADHD.

A diagnosis is not required for us to determine if there’s an issue and how that issue can be resolved.  Our assessment covers ten critical areas of development.

Book an assessment today to discover more.

Most often, ADHD is treated with a combination of medication, therapy, and counseling. Stimulants such as Methylphenidate and Amphetamine are the most commonly used medications for ADHD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychotherapy can help improve time management, organizational skills, and problem-solving skills.

At NeuroFiT Connections, we take a different approach.  We start with an assessment because no two people struggling with ADHD are the same.  Whether someone has been diagnosed or not, we assess ten different categories to determine exactly what’s going on and what their customized program will look like.

Research has shown, and our own assessments agree, that those with ADHD have three things in common; retained primitive reflexes, weak muscle tone, and one overactive hemisphere of the brain.  To correct the developmental issue, we address each of these commonalities among several other key components of development such as fine motor skills, visual ocular mobility, and auditory processing.

Development in the brain starts in the brainstem, where the primitive reflexes are stored.  As a child integrates primitive reflexes, brain activity increases.  Normally, the right hemisphere of the brain grows first, followed by the left.  In those with ADHD, we find that there’s a disparity in the activity of the brain.  We integrate the retained primitive reflexes to allow the brain activity to increase properly.

Of course, integrating retained primitive reflexes is not enough.  We must also stimulate the weaker hemisphere of the brain.  We do this by properly activating the five senses, while engaging the student (what we call a “patient”) in various activities.

Finally, we stimulate the student’s abdominal core muscles through a series of exercises because we know that the more physical activity someone has, the more the brain is engaged.  Students take part in these exercises among other activities while also appropriately working with the five senses to properly stimulate the weaker hemisphere of the brain.

With medication, therapy, and counseling, it is important to note that the effectiveness of treatment varies from person to person. You may notice improvements in symptoms within a few weeks of starting treatment. However, it may take several months to see significant improvement. The doctor may adjust the medication dosage or try a different medication if you do not see any improvement.

With the NeuroFiT Connections program, you will notice improvements within a few weeks of starting the program.  And changes will continue well past the end of the program.  There’s no medication involved in the personalized program, nor is there any counseling.  Book an assessment today to find out more.

Medications always have the potential for side effects. Not everyone will experience the same side effects — or any at all. Some side effects go away, while others may not.

Talk with your doctor about the specific side effects of the medication prescribed and let them know if you experience any side effects.

• Sleep problems

ADHD medication can interfere with sleep, especially if the medication is still active at bedtime.

• Eating issues

Sometimes stimulant medications can cause problems with eating. This may just look like someone not eating because they’re not hungry, but the stimulant medication is active and suppresses the appetite.

• Tics

Sometimes stimulant medication may cause children to develop tics, or repetitive movements or sounds. If this happens, a different stimulant medication may be tried to see if that relieves the tic.

If the tics remain, a non-stimulant medication may be tried, since these affect the brain differently and are less likely to cause tics.

• Mood changes

If a stimulant dose is too high, it can cause sedation, irritability, or tearfulness. This can be taken care of by changing the dosage of the drug. Some people experience changes in mood with stimulants at any dosage. This goes away when they stop the stimulant.

Sometimes a different stimulant medication can help, but sometimes a non-stimulant drug is necessary to address mood changes. Other times, combination therapy with an antidepressant helps mood changes.

Depression often occurs at the same time as ADHD, but both conditions can still be treated. Being aware of the increased risk of depression among people with ADHD can help you address any mood changes that may not be caused by medications.

• Nausea and headaches

Any headaches or nausea that result from ADHD medication usually go away within a few weeks. If the nausea and headaches don’t go away, tell your doctor. They may ask you to take your medication with food.

• Rebound effects

A “rebound effect” is when ADHD medication wears off by the end of the day and a person experiences a return of their symptoms — sometimes more severely than before. This happens because the drug is leaving the brain receptors too quickly.

To counteract this, a small dose of the drug may be given about a half hour before the “rebound” usually occurs. Sometimes a “rebound” effect means the dosage needs to be adjusted, or a different medication is necessary.

For some people, there may be a mood disorder at play, or something else going on. Talk with your doctor about what’s going on presently and different factors that may be contributing to this.

• Increase in blood pressure and pulse

If you’re taking a stimulant medication, this is typically associated with a small increase in blood pressure and pulse. This is generally not clinically significant, but if you have borderline hypertension or cardiac disease, it could become significant.

While we do not recommend medication for our students (what we call our “patients”), being on medication does not preclude the ability of our students to go through their program.  We do recommend that our students re-visit their primary care physician to determine if the medication is still required after they’ve completed their program.

The most common types of therapy for ADHD include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Mindfulness based cognitive therapy
• Family therapy and couples counseling
• Behavioral therapy
• Play therapy
• Music therapy
• Art therapy

Standard treatments for ADHD in adults typically involve medication, education, skills training and psychological counseling. Behavioral treatments such as therapy, parent training, or neurofeedback are also widely used to treat ADHD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is generally considered the gold standard for ADHD psychotherapy.

At NeuroFiT Connections, we take a different approach.  We start with an assessment because no two people struggling with ADHD are the same.  Whether someone has been diagnosed or not, we assess ten different categories to determine exactly what’s going on and what their customized program will look like.

Research has shown, and our own assessments agree, that those with ADHD have three things in common; retained primitive reflexes, weak muscle tone, and one overactive hemisphere of the brain.  To correct the developmental issue, we address each of these commonalities among several other key components of development such as fine motor skills, visual ocular mobility, and auditory processing.

Development in the brain starts in the brainstem, where the primitive reflexes are stored.  As a child integrates primitive reflexes, brain activity increases.  Normally, the right hemisphere of the brain grows first, followed by the left.  In those with ADHD, we find that there’s a disparity in the activity of the brain.  We integrate the retained primitive reflexes to allow the brain activity to increase properly.

Of course, integrating retained primitive reflexes is not enough.  We must also stimulate the weaker hemisphere of the brain.  We do this by properly activating the five senses, while engaging the student (what we call a “patient”) in various activities.

Finally, we stimulate the student’s abdominal core muscles through a series of exercises because we know that the more physical activity someone has, the more the brain is engaged.  Students take part in these exercises among other activities while also appropriately working with the five senses to properly stimulate the weaker hemisphere of the brain.

With other types of therapy, it is important to note that the effectiveness of treatment varies from person to person. You may notice improvements in symptoms within a few weeks of starting treatment. However, it may take several months to see significant improvement.

With the NeuroFiT Connections program, you will notice improvements within a few weeks of starting the program.  And changes will continue well past the end of the program.  There’s no medication involved in the personalized program, nor is there any counseling.  Book an assessment today to find out more.

There is currently no conclusive research indicating whether treatments involving sleep, diet, or exercise have significant effects on ADHD symptoms. Research on ADHD treatments that don’t involve medication is underway, but many of these findings require further studies to clarify their effectiveness.

From our own experience and research, diet plays an important role in ADHD.  Specifically, some foods cause inflammation in the brain, impeding the effectiveness of treatment. As part of the NeuroFiT Connections program, we provide an elimination diet, access to a registered dietician, and probiotics to help avoid inflammation in the brain. 

We also know that the more physical activity someone has, the more the brain is engaged.  In the NeuroFiT Connections program, students (what we call “patients”) stimulate their abdominal core muscles through a series of exercises.

To find out more about the NeuroFiT Connections program and how it can help, schedule a call with a Cognitive Coach today.

To help a child with ADHD succeed in school, you can:

• Create a reward and consequences system for your child.
• Focus on planning and organization.
• Reduce the amount of homework.
• Ask for help from healthcare providers and appropriate professionals.
• Become your child's case manager.
• Learn about your child's educational rights.
• Be active in school team meetings.
• Construct a daily report card.

Schools may also offer ADHD treatments, special education services, or accommodations to lessen the effect of ADHD on learning.  You can also enroll them in the NeuroFiT Connections program to reduce or eliminate the negative aspects of ADHD in as few as twelve weeks.

To find out more about the NeuroFiT Connections program and how it can help, schedule a call with a Cognitive Coach today.

ADHD can persist into adulthood. Many individuals who were not diagnosed in childhood may experience symptoms that significantly impact their daily lives in adulthood. Proper evaluation by healthcare professionals is necessary for diagnosis. At NeuroFiT Connections, we specialize in supporting children and teens with ADHD, and unfortunately, we currently focus our services within this age group. For adults seeking support, we recommend consulting healthcare professionals specializing in adult ADHD care for accurate diagnosis and appropriate interventions.

Treatments for ADHD often include a combination of behavioral therapies, medication, and tailored strategies to manage symptoms. Behavioral interventions, such as therapy and coaching, aim to improve coping skills and organizational techniques.