There are many components to mood, emotional, and behavioral disorders like: ADHD, Depression and anxiety in youth. I touch on a few areas that impact mental health. All must be addressed to create the most health and balance in your child or adolescent teen.

In the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry titled Gluten Sensitivity is a neurological illness; it states that a common dietary protein introduced to the human diet relatively late in evolutionary terms, can create human disease not only of the stomach or intestinal tract, but ones skin, as well as the nervous system.

The role of diet in the development of mental health disorders is overlooked in the general medical models and as mental health psychotherapists we receive no training in nutrition they will rarely consider an issue such as food allergies or gluten sensitivity when looking to treat a patient.

There are specific tests to test for gluten. Traditional blood tests and intestinal biopsies are not as accurate as the newer tests that test for gluten antibodies.

Here is a list of illnesses associated with gluten sensitivity: ADHD, Anxiety, Autism, Arthritis, Diabetes, osteoporosis, brain fog, cancer, chest pain, depression, migranes, alzheimers, dementia, parkinsonism, and more.

There are many stories of how getting off gluten helped with severe depression and anxiety disorders. Individuals stating they were thinking clearly and were not depressed anymore since getting off gluten. Many state they have more energy since weaning off gluten. Feeling free of depression as well as free of unclear thinking. Being able to think clearly again once off gluten.

Medications for ADHD can lead to : anxiety, addiction, and psychosis.

The definition of childhood is being replaced with ADHD meds and is having a horrific impact on society. Children and adults.12/20/16

I do not believe that all depression or all ADHD is caused by Gluten, however, I do believe that there are many components that impact health and disease.

Drugs used to treat ADHD have resulted in cases of permanent Tourettes syndrome. Research to support this has been extensive going back over thirty five years.

ADHD symptoms were reduced by 30 percent for those that were able to eliminate gluten for 6 months among children and teenagers and adults ages three to fifty seven years old.

Depression and anxiety disorders are very severe with those with gluten sensitivity. Neurotransmitters are being blocked like serotonin by cytokines these are essential in regulating mood like anxiety and depression.

Almost fifty percent of children with autism spectrum disorder have stomach issues and problems.

There is great research on mind and body. What you tell yourself impacts your mood, behaviors, and feelings. There is great research on this over a 100 years. CBT Cognitive behavioral therapy in psychology and counseling is a powerful tool to treat unhealthy behaviors, Anxiety, ADHD, depression and more. CBT is not the only way to treat mental health disorders.

There is vast research on exercise and mental health. Exercise is a great tool to manage: ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, OCD, Autism, ADD and more.

There is research to show that inadequate sleep impacts mood and behaviors. Children over 8 and teens need at least 9-10 hours of sleep. Obtaining 8 hours is better obviously than 6 hours.

Lifeworksaz.com looks at all areas of a child’s life to create health and balance and success.

In behavior therapy, a therapist, counselor trains parents in parenting skills that can improve the behavior of their children. These parents learn strategies to encourage positive behavior, discourage unwanted behaviors and improve communication with their children. This kind of therapy requires more time, effort and resources than does treatment with medications, but studies show that the effects may be longer-lasting than those of medication. The Academy of medical physicians state that therapy and counseling is the first course of action for parents.

Children in therapy can also learn a wide array of tools to mange their ADHD behaviors. Research shows that parenting combined with teaching a child tools and skills to manage their behavior obtains best results. Children will learn CBT skills and DBT skills to focus on tasks and anger management skills to deal with stress and lifes challenges be it school, peers, and life in general.

ADHD drugs serve to mask problem behaviors. ADHD drugs are classified in the same category as: cocaine, Opium, and Morphine. What does this mean to me as a parent? The potential risk of addiction and abuse on your child’s brain is high. Over 3 million children are taking ADHD medications throughout the USA. Over 5 million are diagnosed with ADHD throughout the United States of America.

Ina recent study researchers state that over One million children and Teenagers are mis diagnosed for ADHD and many experts believe that ADHD has zero neurological markers and can be that children are inattentive and at times struggle with focusing issues and need to work on this behavior.

Many ADHD diagnosis are driven by large class rooms and teachers over worked whom are overwhelmed in managing many children. Many experts state ADHD behaviors have to do with a child and his or her emotional and or intellectual maturity.

A study that reviewed over 10,000 articles on ADHD medications state that a child’s sleep is impaired while taking ADHD medications. The sleep impairment was connected with : emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in children and teenagers according to this study. Inattention and defiance for connected to the lack of sleep or poor sleeo in children taking ADHD medications: Adderal and Ritalin medications.

Short term side effects can be : insomnia, irritability, tearfulness, toxic psychosis, nervousness, nausea, dizziness, personality changes, headaches, heart issues, tiredness, drowsiness, blood pressure changes, chest pains, abdominal pains, anorexia, weight loss, depression, suicidal thoughts, tics, bizzare behaviors tourettes syndrome.

Long term side effects may include: normal growth is inhibited, height and weight may be impaired, immune system problems and more research is coming out.

An ADHD child may just need a more involved teacher with an imagination to capture the child’s imagination. An ADHD child may need more tools to focus and pay attention at home as well as at school

ADHD diagnosis has increased almost 50% in the past ten years and medication prescriptions are close to a Thirty percent increase approx. in the past decade.

Children that are on ADHD medications are more likely to be at risk for bullying and being abused. This study was done in the Journal of Child Psychology.

Many children and teenagers are prescribed stimulant medication to address their ADHD and these medications are the most commonly sold and shared among children and teenagers throughout Arizona and the USA. Over 20 percent in a survey state they have been asked or approached to sell their medications or to share some pills with them even though they obviously do not have a prescription for the medication ( ADHD).

Many experts believe : parenting and Behavior modification, Family counseling , CBT therapy, are the absolute best ways to manage ADHD symptoms and teach your child life long skills to manage his behavior’s and mood.

ADHD symptoms very often disappear when a child or adolescent have an activity they are interested in doing. ADHD symptoms also disappear when an adult: Mom or Dad or teacher is able to give the child attention. Most observers also state ADHD appears to vanish during the summer when school is not in session.

Children are not : bored, inattentive, angry, violent, unfocused, and undisciplined by nature. Most of the time these children are more energized, more spirited, and need activities that stimulate their minds. They have a bundle of energy however most do not have a mental illness or a disorder. Most need tools to manage their behaviors as well as parents that learn tools to manage your child’s behavior.

Treatment with stimulant drugs such as  (Ritalin) will produce greater docility in any child ) without actually improving conduct or academic performance. Parents are not informed that they are trading behavioral control for toxic drug effects. The label ADHD is attached to children who are in reality deprived of appropriate adult attention These children require improved adult attention , stress management skills, tools to overcome negative thinking and thought patterns, Behavior modification, Parenting modifications and counseling.

Over seventy five percent of children ages 2-5 years old are being medicated when diagnosed with ADHD. The problem is that a pill will never teach your child to : make healthy choices, learn mood management, learn healthy communication skills, build your child’s self esteem, teach your child how to build internal skills to focus and stay on task, teach your child hard work, teach your child to be persistent, teach your child to problem solve, teach your child how to improve their social skills with other children and family members.

Experts state that counseling and therapy are vital for children with ADHD however only 20% of youth or less receive counseling and therapy and parenting skills.

The absolute best approach per 100 years of research regarding children and behavior  is an approach that combines individual counseling with parenting tips and family system tips to modify behavior. All of these elements are vital in creating desired change in your child or teenager.

Many studies recently show that ADHD children that are : restless, impulsive, lack focus and concentration can be treated with behavioral counseling and therapy. Recent research shows that for a child with ADHD to learn complex cognitive tasks he or she must be able to fidget and squirm and being sedated with a pill is not suggested to help children and teens.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy.

ADHD drugs serve to mask problem behaviors. ADHD drugs are classified in the same category as: cocaine, Opium, and Morphine. What does this mean to me as a parent? The potential risk of addiction and abuse on your child’s brain is high. Over 3 million children are taking ADHD medications throughout the USA. Over 5 million are diagnosed with ADHD throughout the United States of America.

In a recent study researchers state that over One million children and Teenagers are mis-diagnosed for ADHD and many experts believe that ADHD has zero neurological markers and can be that children are inattentive and at times struggle with focusing issues and need to work on this behavior.

Many ADHD diagnosis are driven by large class rooms and teachers over worked whom are overwhelmed in managing many children. Many experts state ADHD behaviors have to do with a child and his or her emotional and or intellectual maturity.

A study that reviewed over 10,000 articles on ADHD medications state that a child’s sleep is impaired while taking ADHD medications. The sleep impairment was connected with : emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in children and teenagers according to this study. Inattention and defiance for connected to the lack of sleep or poor sleeo in children taking ADHD medications: Adderal and Ritalin medications.

Short term side effects can be : insomnia, irritability, tearfulness, toxic psychosis, nervousness, nausea, dizziness, personality changes, headaches, heart issues, tiredness, drowsiness, blood pressure changes, chest pains, abdominal pains, anorexia, weight loss, depression, suicidal thoughts, tics, bizzare behaviors tourettes syndrome.

Long term side effects may include: normal growth is inhibited, height and weight may be impaired, immune system problems and more research is coming out.

An ADHD child may just need a more involved teacher with an imagination to capture the child’s imagination. An ADHD child may need more tools to focus and pay attention at home as well as at school.

ADHD diagnosis has increased almost 50% in the past ten years and medication prescriptions are close to a Thirty percent increase approx. in the past decade.

Children that are on ADHD medications are more likely to be at risk for bullying and being abused. This study was done in the Journal of Child Psychology.

Many children and teenagers are prescribed stimulant medication to address their ADHD and these medications are the most commonly sold and shared among children and teenagers throughout Arizona and the USA. Over 20 percent in a survey state they have been asked or approached to sell their medications or to share some pills with them even though they obviously do not have a prescription for the medication ( ADHD).

Your child or teen may display a variety of unhealthy behaviors. There are many areas that can contribute to this behavior: mood, thoughts, self esteem, grief, loss, family issues, peers, performance, school, and much more. It is important to look at all aspects of your child’s life before you label them with a “disorder” this can cause a lot of damage for life.

All children have some behavior issues and some are more serious than others. I have worked with thousands of children that have academic issues, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Aggression, substance abuse, Social issues, poor Self esteem, family issues, communication issues, motivation issues, divorced children, past trauma, defiant disorders, conduct disorders and much more.I have worked with children and families in: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria, Buckeye, Goodyear, Mesa, Ahwatukee, Arcadia, Biltmore, Tempe and in most of the schools in the valley in the past. I have worked with private school kids and teens in juvenile detention. I have worked in the public schools as well.

My approach is not to stigmatize your child and hand him a disorder it is quite the opposite. I find all the strengths and positive qualities your child or teen has and use that as a foundation for rapport and connection with your child and the family. Labeling your child will only create a reason why behavior is the way it is and the reality is that you child can change his behavior as well as each parent can modify their behavior to obtain desired success and results.

I work with both the parent and the child and the research and my experience shows this will create the greatest potential for change. The parents are the eyes and ears of the child and know their child the best. Weekly feedback from each parents is vital in creating a treatment plan for change and is part of what Lifeworks Arizona Child and Family counseling uses in one component for change.

My approach is not a cookie cutter approach. Depending on your child or Teen I use a wide array of evidence based tools that work as well as sports, games, art,  play, and talk  to create change. My goal is to create balance in your child’s life. I look at his sleep patterns, diet, unhealthy habits, routine, time management, communication skills, boundaries, parenting, academics, and all of his or her behaviors that are working and this that are not working. Through this process I create a treatment plan to eliminate undesirable behaviors . At the same time I am teaching your child skills to manage : mood, stress, anger, anxiety, depression, develop social skills, build self esteem. It is the combination of all the components that creates change for your child or teenager.

Think of a car you drive where one tire is low in air pressure . Depending on how low it is it can impact the whole car and it’s alignment. Our children can be thought of in the same way: low air pressure, delay in oil change, and the car starts having many problems, it might take awhile however eventually these problems will arise in your child in the form of: disrespect, anger, aggression, poor grades, poor habits anymore.

There is more research out that children watching TV before bed time impacts sleep. The same research applies to video games, and internet use.

The Academy of Pediatrics suggest that children be limited to less than two hours per day of TV and media. Research shows that media can diminish a child’s vocabulary, math skills, and social skills. There is a great deal of research that correlates : sleep problems, aggression, anger, behavioral problems, ADHD, lack of attention at school, obesity

and more to children that are watching on average 32 hours of TV and media per week. In most homes the TV is on for half the day if not more.

Children are not interacting with peers and family members. Children are not eating dinner with families and communicating. The TV or technology is the focus and healthy social and communication skills are eroding

exponentially. Children and teens are not exercising which is essential for physical health as well as mental health. Children are not reading books, playing instruments, playing with peers, joining groups and organizations and are isolating in their rooms or homes watching media.

Obesity is an epidemic in the USA and this is no exception for children.

One out of three high school students are not involved in any exercise. Many children and teens spend most of their time playing video games, watching tv, or on the computer. Limiting media time is one huge piece in decreasing weight and obesity problems among youth. Of course ,exercise and healthy eating habits are important as well. The first step

is limiting media consumption.

Thousands of studies have been done on child aggression/ anger and TV since he early 1950’s and only a couple dozen state that aggression and TV watching frequency increase childhood aggression. TV desensitizes children toward violence, anger, aggression, verbal abuse and more.

Children will be exposed to over 200,000 violent acts and over 15,000 murders before they reach age 18. Do you really want your children exposed to this much violence?. The same can be stated for video games and other media that is unhealthy.

Tv research shows that exposure to alcohol and smoking increase the likelihood your child will gravitate toward these products. This is why advertisers spend Billions of dollars each year to increase sales and exposure of their products.

Children sleep better when tv was not viewed close to bed time. Electronics impact: sleep, mood, behavior, health, social skills and more. Limits must be set on electronic use to create health and balance in your child’s life .

A study conducted that involved questionaires of over 12,000 adolescent teens showed their is a link between depressed moods, depression and suicidal behaviors.

Many sleep studies show that sleep is vital for mood regulation, focusing, awareness, attentiveness, coping with stress, depression, anxiety and more in children and teenagers.

The bottom line in most of these studies is that adolescent teenagers need at least 9-10 hours of sleep per night. It is important to set boundaries with teens and it is a hard task to do with : cell phones, texting, internet, etc, however, sleep will impact your child and teens mental health and physical health.

A study published in the Jan 1 issue of Sleep found that children with sleep disturbances are more severely depressed, have more depressive symptoms and have more anxiety disorders, compared with children without sleep disturbances.

Parents must set firm limits on : TV, cell phone use, Internet use, Netflix, You tube, and video game use if you want your child to be well rounded and have balance in all areas of their life.

Poor or inadequate sleep is correlated with follow through and limits placed on your child. Unhealthy behaviors: unhealthy anger, depressed mood, anxiety, inability to focus at school, poor performance at school many times is connected to sleep patterns and structure in the child’s life creating healthy or unhealthy life skills and habits.

ADHD, ADD, Behaviors

The absolute best approach per 100 years of research regarding children and behavior  is an approach that combines individual counseling with parenting tips and family system tips to modify behavior. All of these elements are vital in creating desired change in your child or teenager. Lifeworks AZ provides this.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. ADHD drugs are tested for 8-12 weeks in experiments and most children stay on the drug for years not knowing how it impacts the brain. Many children suffer withdrawal symptoms and behavioral changes when taken off the drugs similar to what a drug addict experiences when stopping long term drug use.

Recent research findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive therapies focused on reducing impulsivity and reinforcing positive long-term habits may be able to replace current high doses of stimulant treatment in children and young adults.

Lifeworksaz has been working with ADHD children and teens using a combination of cognitive therapies, behavior modification, play therapy, and more to teach children how to manage ADHD with excellent results.

Recent surveys indicate that 12 percent of all children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD’s core symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention, inability to perform monotonous tasks and lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD have trouble in school and forming relationships, and 60 percent will continue to suffer from the disorder well into adulthood if they do not receive counseling and therapy.

Over 3 million U.S. children and adolescents with ADHD were being treated with stimulant drugs. New research reveals that these drugs are not necessarily the panacea they have been thought to be. Research outcomes suggests that if ADHD children and adolescents could learn good study habits early on, medication could become less necessary.

Other research has examined the role of behavioral interventions not only for school-age children, but also for their parents. Parents of children with ADHD tend to exhibit more parenting-related stress and difficulties than do those of non-afflicted offspring. After training parents in stress management and giving them behavioral tools to help their children, significant improvement in their children’s ADHD-related behavior appeared.

Cognitive therapy may also boost improvement: In a 2011, showed that children with ADHD show extra activity in brain areas associated with “task-irrelevant” information during working memory tasks (those that depend on one’s ability to hold and focus on information for immediate reasoning and recall), suggesting that they have less efficient cognitive control. Cognitive therapy and counseling can improve control and ability to focus.

Decades of research on treatment for ADHD children and teens show that medication alone will not produce positive long term results in children and adolescents. Behavioral therapy is one of the only type of counseling treatment’s that produces effective results. Looking at your child’s social and behavioral issues is key as well as looking at your parenting style and communication style with your children. All of these areas must be addressed to create huge positive changes at home with your child and with your family and at school with peers.

An ADHD child does display: inattentiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and more. Most children and teenagers that have ADHD show challenges in these areas as well: daily life activities, school academics and school performances, behavioral issues at school, relationships issues with family members and peers at school and outside of school, defiance with parents, noncompliance with parents.

How your child with ADHD will do in adulthood is influenced by four things: (1) whether you use effective parenting skills; (2) how your child gets along with other children; (3) his or her success in school; and (4) whether behavioral treatments can be successfully applied to these critical areas. This is done by teaching skills to parents, teachers, and the children themselves. If learned and implemented by parents and teachers, these skills help the children overcome their problems in daily life functioning. Because ADHD is a chronic condition, teaching skills that will be valuable across the child’s lifetime is especially important. Lifeworks Arizona Counseling has expertise working with children and parents to address ADHD symptoms mentioned above to create success with the family and child.

Effective outcomes must combine counseling and therapy for the child one on one. It also must include parenting and behavioral modification therapy with parent or parents. If teachers are involved than keeping them in the loop as well as having a 504 or IEP that addresses these specific issues with strategies is important.

Having a system that addresses behaviors daily is important. Having parents involved in the behavior modification is essential. Working with the child or teen and parent weekly is important to modify and extinguish undesirable behaviors and it is just as important to reinforce positive behaviors.

Change will happen if you are dedicated to the process with someone who has a history of success with children and families.

There are many excellent techniques and skills when combined together that will make a huge impact on your child’s behavior at home and at school with ADHD or other challenges.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. ADHD drugs are tested for 8-12 weeks in experiments and most children stay on the drug for years not knowing how it impacts the brain. Many children suffer withdrawal symptoms and behavioral changes when taken off the drugs similar to what a drug addict experiences when stopping long term drug use.

Recent research findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive therapies focused on reducing impulsivity and reinforcing positive long-term habits may be able to replace current high doses of stimulant treatment in children and young adults.

Lifeworksaz has been working with ADHD children providing counseling skills to parents and teens using a combination of cognitive therapies, behavior modification, play therapy, and more to teach children how to manage ADHD with excellent results.

Recent surveys indicate that 12 percent of all children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD’s core symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention, inability to perform monotonous tasks and lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD have trouble in school and forming relationships, and 60 percent will continue to suffer from the disorder well into adulthood if they do not receive counseling and therapy.

Over 3 million U.S. children and adolescents with ADHD were being treated with stimulant drugs. New research reveals that these drugs are not necessarily the panacea they have been thought to be.Research outcomes suggests that if ADHD children and adolescents could learn good study habits early on, medication could become less necessary.

Other research has examined the role of behavioral interventions not only for school-age children, but also for their parents. Parents of children with ADHD tend to exhibit more parenting-related stress and difficulties than do those of non-afflicted offspring. After training parents in stress management and giving them behavioral tools to help their children, significant improvement in their children’s ADHD-related behavior appeared.

Cognitive therapy may also boost improvement: In a 2011, showed that children with ADHD show extra activity in brain areas associated with “task-irrelevant” information during working memory tasks (those that depend on one’s ability to hold and focus on information for immediate reasoning and recall), suggesting that they have less efficient cognitive control. Cognitive therapy and counseling can improve control and ability to focus.

Will medication teach your child life skills? Will meds teach your child values and respect? Will meds help build your child’s self esteem? Confidence? Will medication help your child learn appropriate social and relationship skills? Will medication teach your child or teen have to become motivated and find passion and purpose for the future? Behavior and life skills and counseling can do all the above. There are other things that can help your ADHD child like physical exercise.

Recent research and past research show children and teenagers who took part in a regular physical activity program showed important enhancement of cognitive performance and brain function. Exercise research demonstrate a causal effect of a physical program on executive control, and provide support for physical activity for improving childhood cognition and brain health.

The improvements in this case came in executive control, which consists of inhibition (resisting distraction, maintaining focus), working memory, and cognitive flexibility (switching between tasks).

Exercise programs improved math and reading test scores in all kids, but especially in those with signs of ADHD. (Executive functioning is impaired in ADHD, and tied to performance in math and reading. Studies suggest that physical activity can have a positive effect on children who suffer from ADHD.”

The Journal of Attention Disorders found that just 26 minutes of daily physical activity for eight weeks significantly allayed ADHD symptoms in grade-school kids. .

The number of prescriptions increased from 34.8 to 48.4 million between 2007 and 2011 alone. The pharmaceutical market around the disorder has grown to several billion dollars in recent years while school exercise is on the decline.

A multi-country study that found that obese teenagers go on to earn 18 percent less money as adults than their peers, even if they are no longer obese. The rapid increase in childhood and adolescent obesity could have long-lasting effects on the economic growth and

Physical activity improves mood and cognitive performance by triggering the brain to release dopamine and serotonin, similar to the way that stimulant medications do without side effects.

In conclusion there a wide array of things that can help your child: individual counseling, Behavior modification plan customized to your child, DBT skills, CBT skills, Exercise, Parenting skills, stress management skills and more.

The head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of  Adelaide states that children are being over diagnosed and over prescribed medications for ADD as well as ADHD. There has been a three hundred percent increase between children  3- 7 years old. The Professor states that alternative interventions are needed instead of giving children methylphenidate hydrochloride  commonly sold under the brand Ritalin.

The head Doctor states that the prescription simply dampens the behavior however does not address the root of the behavior. Medications will not teach life skills, problem solving , how to regulate stress and emotions, how to develop healthy social skills,academic skills, sports skills, how to develop coping skills, how to interact with family, healthy life choices. The medication will not help parents develop better relationships with their child and this must happen to improve the child’s behaviors.

Stimulant drugs like Ritalin and many other drugs damage the brains of growing children and teenagers and suppress behavior regardless of a diagnosis or any other disorder. The adverse effects of these drugs on your child go back over forty years. Animals in studies lose their passion, spirit, and vitality. Obsessive and compulsive behaviors are seen in those that take these stimulants.

In some ADHD children, drug induced compliant behavior may be accompanied  by: isolation of your child, withdrawal, and over focused behaviors. Many medicated children will appear “zoned out” “similar to a robot or a zombie. Many children will become more socially isolated by taking these medications and will suffer from social interactions at school as well as at home.

The zombie “look” may look like your child is compliant however it is associated by experts in Psychiatry with drug toxicity and is really not an improvement just a sedation of the child that will not last with the same medication. These medications can cause 20-30 percent decrease  of blood flow to the brain and the brain in adults that were treated with these medications have shown brain atrophy.

These medications are highly addictive and research shows children have higher rates of drug addiction later on in life connected to early use of ADHD medications like the ones mentioned. Tics and obsessive compulsive behaviors go hand and hand with these stimulants.

ADHD  is the expression of a normal child who is bored. frustrated. frightened. angry, or emotionally injured. undisciplined. lonely, too far behind in class. too far ahead of the class. or otherwise in need of special attention that is not being provided.

Some of the adverse side effects can be: child anxiety, agitation, insomnia nd aggression so you might see a more docile child at times however these other symptoms will have a negative impact for your child moving forward and you have not addressed the root cause of his behavior and he or she has not learned how to deal with life, life challenges, peers, emotions, and much more.

More on ADHD therapy, counseling and treatment

ADHD medications are tested for 8-12 weeks and most children stay on these medications for years or decades. Do you want your child on a medication when you do not know what the long term effect is of these medications. Dr Breggin has numerous books out on medication a Harvard graduate and physician/ Psychiatrist. Some of his published books are : medication madness, toxic psychiatry and many more.

The view that ADHD is caused more by biology than environment has become increasingly popular, as has the prevalence of this disorder among American youngsters. There is also evidence that environment and stress impacts the genes in children and teens .

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that 13.5 percent of boys and 5.4 percent of girls between ages 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD.

What’s interesting is the variability in how different cultures treat this disorder. Whereas 6 percent of American children are on medication for ADHD, in France only 0.5 percent of youngsters are prescribed pills.

For parents seeking alternatives to medication used for ADHD, recent research published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology documents the efficacy of a treatment option that is easy to implement, cheap and has other health benefits exercise.

For a group of children in kindergarten through second grade, about a half an hour of exercise before school had a significant impact on their attention and mood. These findings are consistent with other studies stressing the importance of exercise for all children, but particularly for children and teenagers with problems of impulsivity and concentration.

It makes no sense to expect children to sit for endless hours without the opportunity to move around, run and stretch.

These tips will help your child:

• Power down all electronics/media devices and go for a walk with your child before school. Researchers recommend 30 minutes of activity every day. However, that may not be realistic for many families. Develop a morning exercise routine, even if it’s only five to 10 minutes. Enroll your child in: dance, sports, karate, soccer, basketball, baseball, running, cross country, volleyball. The more physically active your child is the better his or her mood will be as well as school performance.
• Yoga is also excellent for children with ADHD. The breathing, meditation, and postures will help him or her with: impulsivity, lack of focus, and relaxation.
• Talk with your child’s teacher and principal about options for incorporating modest activity throughout the day. Kids get restless and inattentive. Let’s not punish them for being kids or give them a medical diagnosis for normal childhood behaviors.

Only 20 percent of children, teens, adolescents on medication are involved in any counseling program. Talk with a therapist that has expertise with children and families about how behavior-management strategies can be used to encourage a more active lifestyle in your family.

Developing a healthy lifestyle is not about running every day but rather taking a few modest steps to increase your activity. Focus on small goals you can achieve rather than lofty goals that will result in failure.

The research is extensive and aggression and spanking impacts your children in negative ways. First off your child learns that you can get things resolved through aggression. Your child will model your aggression and be aggressive toward siblings and peers. Current research shows that spanking will reduce the grey matter in your child’s brain. Why is grey matter important? It is the part of the brain that allows your child to learn rewards from consequences. It is the part of the brain that is used in making decision.

Aggression. Delinquency. Mental health problems. And something called “hostile attribution bias,” which causes children, essentially, to expect people to be mean to them.

This bias makes the world feel especially hostile. In turn, children are on edge and ready to be hostile back. Over time, across all cultures and races, the findings are consistent: Spanking is doing real, measurable damage to the brains of our children.

Many parents state that they were spanked and they turned out ok. Well yes parents made it through spanking however parents do not know what they would be like had this not happened. A parent will develop a strong relationship through healthy rewards and consequences allowing your child to learn to make good choices and learn from poor choices as well.

Research shows that spanking your child DOES not make your child improve his or her behavior it only stops them for the moment. Children will become angry, aggressive and have mental health issues the more they are spanked. In the journal of Cognitive Neuro Science it states that the more you physically punish your children for the lack of self control, the less self control the child will have. The child is not learning self control here they are learning to stop out of fear however they are not learning healthy life skills, decision making, insight into their behavior. They are learning that external forces control their behavior.

Creating behavior modification systems that allow the child to make good choices daily and be rewarded for healthy choices combined with losing privileges due to poor choices or unhealthy choices is one of the best ways to teach your children life skills, communication skills, social skills, responsibility, values, ethics, respect and much more.

One of the best researched approach per 100 years of research regarding children and behavior  is an approach that combines individual counseling with parenting tips and family system tips to modify behavior. All of these elements are vital in creating desired change in your child or teenager.

Many studies recently show that ADHD children that are : restless, impulsive, lack focus and concentration can be treated with behavioral counseling and therapy. Recent research shows that for a child with ADHD to learn complex cognitive tasks he or she must be able to fidget and squirm and being sedated with a pill is not suggested to help children and teeens.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. ADHD drugs are tested for 8-12 weeks in experiments and most children stay on the drug for years not knowing how it impacts the brain. Many children suffer withdrawal symptoms and behavioral changes when taken off the drugs similar to what a drug addict experiences when stopping long term drug use.

Recent research findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive therapies focused on reducing impulsivity and reinforcing positive long-term habits may be able to replace current high doses of stimulant treatment in children and young adults.

Lifeworksaz.com David Abrams MAPC LPC CAGS has been working with ADHD children and teens using a combination of cognitive therapies, behavior modification, play therapy, and more to teach children how to manage ADHD with excellent results.

Recent surveys indicate that 12 percent of all children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD’s core symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention, inability to perform monotonous tasks and lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD have trouble in school and forming relationships, and 60 percent will continue to suffer from the disorder well into adulthood if they do not receive counseling and therapy.

Over 3 million U.S. children and adolescents with ADHD were being treated with stimulant drugs. New research reveals that these drugs are not necessarily the panacea they have been thought to be. Research outcomes suggests that if ADHD children and adolescents could learn good study habits early on, medication could become less necessary.

Other research has examined the role of behavioral interventions not only for school-age children, but also for their parents. Parents of children with ADHD tend to exhibit more parenting-related stress and difficulties than do those of non-afflicted offspring. After training parents in stress management and giving them behavioral tools to help their children, significant improvement in their children’s ADHD-related behavior appeared.

Cognitive therapy may also boost improvement: In a 2011, showed that children with ADHD show extra activity in brain areas associated with “task-irrelevant” information during working memory tasks (those that depend on one’s ability to hold and focus on information for immediate reasoning and recall), suggesting that they have less efficient cognitive control. Cognitive therapy and counseling can improve control and ability to focus.

Decades of research on treatment for ADHD children and teens show that medication alone will not produce positive long term results in children and adolescents. Behavioral therapy is one of the only type of counseling treatment’s that produces effective results. Looking at your child’s social and behavioral issues is key as well as looking at your parenting style and communication style with your children. All of these areas must be addressed to create huge positive changes at home with your child and with your family and at school with peers.

An ADHD child does display: inattentiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and more. Most children and teenagers that have ADHD show challenges in these areas as well: daily life activities, school academics and school performances, behavioral issues at school, relationships issues with family members and peers at school and outside of school, defiance with parents, noncompliance with parents.

How your child with ADHD will do in adulthood is influenced by four things: (1) whether you use effective parenting skills; (2) how your child gets along with other children; (3) his or her success in school; and (4) whether behavioral treatments can be successfully applied to these critical areas. This is done by teaching skills to parents, teachers, and the children themselves. If learned and implemented by parents and teachers, these skills help the children overcome their problems in daily life functioning. Because ADHD is a chronic condition, teaching skills that will be valuable across the child’s lifetime is especially important. Lifeworks Arizona Counseling has expertise working with children and parents to address ADHD symptoms mentioned above to create success with the family and child.

Effective outcomes must combine counseling and therapy for the child one on one. It also must include parenting and behavioral modification therapy with parent or parents. If teachers are involved than keeping them in the loop as well as having a 504 or IEP that addresses these specific issues with strategies is important.

Having a system that addresses behaviors daily is important. Having parents involved in the behavior modification is essential. Working with the child or teen and parent weekly is important to modify and extinguish undesirable behaviors and it is just as important to reinforce positive behaviors.

Change will happen if you are dedicated to the process with someone who has a history of success with children and families.

There are many excellent techniques and skills when combined together that will make a huge impact on your child’s behavior at home and at school with ADHD or other challenges.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. ADHD drugs are tested for 8-12 weeks in experiments and most children stay on the drug for years not knowing how it impacts the brain. Many children suffer withdrawal symptoms and behavioral changes when taken off the drugs similar to what a drug addict experiences when stopping long term drug use.

Recent research findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive therapies focused on reducing impulsivity and reinforcing positive long-term habits may be able to replace current high doses of stimulant treatment in children and young adults.

Lifeworksaz has been working with ADHD children providing counseling skills to parents and teens using a combination of cognitive therapies, behavior modification, play therapy, and more to teach children how to manage ADHD with excellent results.

Recent surveys indicate that 12 percent of all children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD’s core symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention, inability to perform monotonous tasks and lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD have trouble in school and forming relationships, and 60 percent will continue to suffer from the disorder well into adulthood if they do not receive counseling and therapy.

Over 3 million U.S. children and adolescents with ADHD were being treated with stimulant drugs. New research reveals that these drugs are not necessarily the panacea they have been thought to be.Research outcomes suggests that if ADHD children and adolescents could learn good study habits early on, medication could become less necessary.

Other research has examined the role of behavioral interventions not only for school-age children, but also for their parents. Parents of children with ADHD tend to exhibit more parenting-related stress and difficulties than do those of non-afflicted offspring. After training parents in stress management and giving them behavioral tools to help their children, significant improvement in their children’s ADHD-related behavior appeared.

Cognitive therapy may also boost improvement: In a 2011, showed that children with ADHD show extra activity in brain areas associated with “task-irrelevant” information during working memory tasks (those that depend on one’s ability to hold and focus on information for immediate reasoning and recall), suggesting that they have less efficient cognitive control. Cognitive therapy and counseling can improve control and ability to focus.

Will medication teach your child life skills? Will meds teach your child values and respect? Will meds help build your child’s self esteem? Confidence? Will medication help your child learn appropriate social and relationship skills? Will medication teach your child or teen have to become motivated and find passion and purpose for the future? Behavior and life skills and counseling can do all the above. There are other things that can help your ADHD child like physical exercise.

Recent research and past research show children and teenagers who took part in a regular physical activity program showed important enhancement of cognitive performance and brain function. Exercise research demonstrate a causal effect of a physical program on executive control, and provide support for physical activity for improving childhood cognition and brain health.

The improvements in this case came in executive control, which consists of inhibition (resisting distraction, maintaining focus), working memory, and cognitive flexibility (switching between tasks).

Exercise programs improved math and reading test scores in all kids, but especially in those with signs of ADHD. (Executive functioning is impaired in ADHD, and tied to performance in math and reading. Studies suggest that physical activity can have a positive effect on children who suffer from ADHD.”

The Journal of Attention Disorders found that just 26 minutes of daily physical activity for eight weeks significantly allayed ADHD symptoms in grade-school kids. .

The number of prescriptions increased from 34.8 to 48.4 million between 2007 and 2011 alone. The pharmaceutical market around the disorder has grown to several billion dollars in recent years while school exercise is on the decline.

A multi-country study that found that obese teenagers go on to earn 18 percent less money as adults than their peers, even if they are no longer obese. The rapid increase in childhood and adolescent obesity could have long-lasting effects on the economic growth and

Physical activity improves mood and cognitive performance by triggering the brain to release dopamine and serotonin, similar to the way that stimulant medications do without side effects.

In conclusion there a wide array of things that can help your child: individual counseling, Behavior modification plan customized to your child, DBT skills, CBT skills, Exercise, Parenting skills, stress management skills and more.

The head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of  Adelaide states that children are being over diagnosed and over prescribed medications for ADD as well as ADHD. There has been a three hundred percent increase between children  3- 7 years old. The Professor states that alternative interventions are needed instead of giving children methylphenidate hydrochloride  commonly sold under the brand Ritalin.

The head Doctor states that the prescription simply dampens the behavior however does not address the root of the behavior. Medications will not teach life skills, problem solving , how to regulate stress and emotions, how to develop healthy social skills,academic skills, sports skills, how to develop coping skills, how to interact with family, healthy life choices. The medication will not help parents develop better relationships with their child and this must happen to improve the child’s behaviors.

Stimulant drugs like Ritalin and many other drugs damage the brains of growing children and teenagers and suppress behavior regardless of a diagnosis or any other disorder. The adverse effects of these drugs on your child go back over forty years. Animals in studies lose their passion, spirit, and vitality. Obsessive and compulsive behaviors are seen in those that take these stimulants.

In some ADHD children, drug induced compliant behavior may be accompanied  by: isolation of your child, withdrawal, and over focused behaviors. Many medicated children will appear “zoned out” “similar to a robot or a zombie. Many children will become more socially isolated by taking these medications and will suffer from social interactions at school as well as at home.

The zombie “look” may look like your child is compliant however it is associated by experts in Psychiatry with drug toxicity and is really not an improvement just a sedation of the child that will not last with the same medication. These medications can cause 20-30 percent decrease  of blood flow to the brain and the brain in adults that were treated with these medications have shown brain atrophy.

These medications are highly addictive and research shows children have higher rates of drug addiction later on in life connected to early use of ADHD medications like the ones mentioned. Tics and obsessive compulsive behaviors go hand and hand with these stimulants.

ADHD  is the expression of a normal child who is bored. frustrated. frightened. angry, or emotionally injured. undisciplined. lonely, too far behind in class. too far ahead of the class. or otherwise in need of special attention that is not being provided.

Some of the adverse side effects can be: child anxiety, agitation, insomnia nd aggression so you might see a more docile child at times however these other symptoms will have a negative impact for your child moving forward and you have not addressed the root cause of his behavior and he or she has not learned how to deal with life, life challenges, peers, emotions, and much more.

Counseling child ADHD:SCOTTSDALE, Chandler, Tempe, Goodyear AZ, Arcadia, Phoenix Arizona

ADHD Diagnosis is on the rise with one in five children diagnosed with ADHD in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Goodyear, Arizona.

ADHD medications are tested for 8-12 weeks and most however your children stay on these medications for years or decades. Do you want your child on a medication when you do not know what the long term effect is of these medications? Dr Breggin has numerous books out on medication. He is a Harvard graduate and physician/ Psychiatrist. Some of his published books are : medication madness, toxic psychiatry and many more. He has great concern that many of these medications are addictive and that they alter your child’s brain that is still developing.

The absolute best evidence based research approach per 100 years of research regarding children and ADHD behavior  is an approach that combines individual counseling with parenting tips and family system tips to modify behavior. All of these elements are vital in creating desired change in your child or teenager. Lifeworks AZ provides this. Working on: boundaries, social skills, communication, self esteem, impulsivity, focus, over coming challenges, organization, healthy behaviors, healthy habits is vital and no medication will give this to your child.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD do not improve children’s

symptoms long term. Children did not fare better as far as: inattention, hyperactivity, and social functioning. on these medications versus

children not on medications for ADHD. Researchers are confused by the results that attention, focus and self control should improve however, children not on medications for ADHD do just as well as children not on medications.. Researchers are confused by the results that attention, focus and self control should improve however grades do not improve for children in the long term.

Children do better with behavioral therapy combined with medication than without counseling and therapy according to research.

Obesity

Research shows in AZ a link between ADHD and obesity, but whether one leads to the other is unclear. One way to better understand the link is to follow children through to adolescence. Over thirty percent of children and teens in Arizona and Scottsdale, Phoenix AZ are overweight and obese. There appears to be a connection and a correlation between weight and ADHD.

The new study, which followed almost 7000 children in Finland, found that those who had ADHD symptoms at age eight had significantly higher odds of being obese at age 16. Children who had ADHD symptoms were also less physically active as teenagers.

Alcohol/ Tobbaco

A new study revealed a significantly higher prevalence of substance abuse and dependence and tobacco use by adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) vs those without ADHD. Medications for ADHD do not counter the risk for substance abuse or substance dependence.

One million more U.S. children were taking medication for ADHD between 2003-04 and 2011-12. Twenty five percent of children meet the diagnosis for ADHD so is it a true disorder or is it just children that can not sit still for hours on end. Many adults can not sit in a classroom for an hour without wanting to get up and stay focused.

When children struggle with focusing on tasks, staying organized, controlling their behavior and sitting still, they may be evaluated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clinicians, however, shouldn’t stop there, according to a new study. Research shows these youth

Had adverse situations arise at home and that trauma can impact an ADHD diagnosis.

Experts state that children will have best long term results with behavioral counseling and therapy versus just taking a drug or medication. behavior management techniques for parents and coping skills and tools for children combined with behavior modification and skills training for children show excellent results. Behavioral interventions work if parents can commit to counseling with a specialist for behavior modification.

Lifeworks AZ  counseling scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler,has a specialization working with children and parents helping with ADHD symptoms as well as other emotional andbehavioral problems including: defiance , hyperactivity, conduct disorders, depression, anxiety, anger management, goal setting, focus, attention, goal setting, respectful behaviors, ADHD, and more. You can contact lifeworks az therapy and counseling .David@lifework

Today in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Goodyear and Throughout the United States parents are attempting to deal with complaints from teachers about children and teen behaviors in school.

Parents are overwhelmed and stressed with work and family obligations. Some parents turn to spanking however soon find out that this eventually makes the problem much bigger and destroys the child and parent relationship if done often and w frequency.

Pharmaceutical companies are spending Billions of dollars on TV and Internet advertisements to help save all parents. A magic pill that will make your child behave, and listen, and be respectful, and focus, and excel, and make good life choices?

This pill does not teach improved parenting skills nor healthy choices, mood regulation, problem solving, overcoming challenges, respect, ethics, values, healthy communication, boundaries, building self esteem.

Most children and teens feel blamed and labeled and that they have a “problem” a disability, a “dysfunction” , a “deficiency”, a “deficit”. There diagnosis often becomes a self fulfilling prophecy on why they can not change unhealthy behaviors. The medication is a way to chemically restrain or temporarily straight Jacket “negative” behaviors in our child.

Research shows that there are many adverse effects of these medications including but not limited to: withdrawal, growth retardation, more hyperactivity, and more inattention then before the drug was taken.

Parents must learn improved parenting skills, and help children learn to think on their own as well as make healthy choices. As parents increase their own skills they can help their children become more healthy human beings.

Parents can learn how to deal with a wide array of specific behaviors that need to be modified: Not listening or doing as told, Defying commands or requests, tantrums, manipulative statements “ I can not do it”, “you love sister more than me”), judging and criticizing others, blaming others and not taking accountability for his or her behaviors, nagging, interrupting you, complaining about physical problems that are used to manipulate when you have researched medical issues. Your child is not paying attention, learned helplessness, poor reading ability, procrastination, poor school performance: not staying on task, not following instructions, not remembering what to do, sloppy work, not doing work correctly or neatly, and more. Failing to be quiet, not staying in ones seat, blurting out answers, talking to friends when teacher is speaking, aggression verbally or physically to peers. Fighting with siblings, telling on siblings, aggression, and lying.

Reinforcing and creating a closer relationship with your child is vital. External rewards can work however participating in an activity with one’s child is vital and showing love and healthy boundaries is key. Praising your child daily for healthy behaviors and positive efforts is important.

Immediacy in reinforcing a behavior is essential. One can not wait a week to reinforce behavior in your child.

Lifeworks AZ Phoenix, Scottsdale Arizona helps parents modify behaviors and improve their life long relationship with your child. Lifeworks AZ also teaches children healthy behaviors, problem solving, mood management, social skills, and ways to build self esteem as well as healthy communication skills and more.

The absolute best approach per 100 years of research regarding children and behavior  is an approach that combines individual counseling with parenting tips and family system tips to modify behavior. All of these elements are vital in creating desired change in your child or teenager. Lifeworks AZ provides this.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. ADHD drugs are tested for 8-12 weeks in experiments and most children stay on the drug for years not knowing how it impacts the brain. Many children suffer withdrawal symptoms and behavioral changes when taken off the drugs similar to what a drug addict experiences when stopping long term drug use.

Recent research findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive therapies focused on reducing impulsivity and reinforcing positive long-term habits may be able to replace current high doses of stimulant treatment in children and young adults.

Lifeworksaz has been working with ADHD children and teens using a combination of cognitive therapies, behavior modification, play therapy, and more to teach children how to manage ADHD with excellent results.

Recent surveys indicate that 12 percent of all children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD’s core symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention, inability to perform monotonous tasks and lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD have trouble in school and forming relationships, and 60 percent will continue to suffer from the disorder well into adulthood if they do not receive counseling and therapy.

Over 3 million U.S. children and adolescents with ADHD were being treated with stimulant drugs. New research reveals that these drugs are not necessarily the panacea they have been thought to be. Research outcomes suggests that if ADHD children and adolescents could learn good study habits early on, medication could become less necessary.

Other research has examined the role of behavioral interventions not only for school-age children, but also for their parents. Parents of children with ADHD tend to exhibit more parenting-related stress and difficulties than do those of non-afflicted offspring. After training parents in stress management and giving them behavioral tools to help their children, significant improvement in their children’s ADHD-related behavior appeared.

Cognitive therapy may also boost improvement: In a 2011, showed that children with ADHD show extra activity in brain areas associated with “task-irrelevant” information during working memory tasks (those that depend on one’s ability to hold and focus on information for immediate reasoning and recall), suggesting that they have less efficient cognitive control. Cognitive therapy and counseling can improve control and ability to focus.

Decades of research on treatment for ADHD children and teens show that medication alone will not produce positive long term results in children and adolescents. Behavioral therapy is one of the only type of counseling treatment’s that produces effective results. Looking at your child’s social and behavioral issues is key as well as looking at your parenting style and communication style with your children. All of these areas must be addressed to create huge positive changes at home with your child and with your family and at school with peers.

An ADHD child does display: inattentiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and more. Most children and teenagers that have ADHD show challenges in these areas as well: daily life activities, school academics and school performances, behavioral issues at school, relationships issues with family members and peers at school and outside of school, defiance with parents, noncompliance with parents.

How your child with ADHD will do in adulthood is influenced by four things: (1) whether you use effective parenting skills; (2) how your child gets along with other children; (3) his or her success in school; and (4) whether behavioral treatments can be successfully applied to these critical areas. This is done by teaching skills to parents, teachers, and the children themselves. If learned and implemented by parents and teachers, these skills help the children overcome their problems in daily life functioning. Because ADHD is a chronic condition, teaching skills that will be valuable across the child’s lifetime is especially important. Lifeworks Arizona Counseling has expertise working with children and parents to address ADHD symptoms mentioned above to create success with the family and child.

Effective outcomes must combine counseling and therapy for the child one on one. It also must include parenting and behavioral modification therapy with parent or parents. If teachers are involved than keeping them in the loop as well as having a 504 or IEP that addresses these specific issues with strategies is important.

Having a system that addresses behaviors daily is important. Having parents involved in the behavior modification is essential. Working with the child or teen and parent weekly is important to modify and extinguish undesirable behaviors and it is just as important to reinforce positive behaviors.

Change will happen if you are dedicated to the process with someone who has a history of success with children and families.

There are many excellent techniques and skills when combined together that will make a huge impact on your child’s behavior at home and at school with ADHD or other challenges.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. ADHD drugs are tested for 8-12 weeks in experiments and most children stay on the drug for years not knowing how it impacts the brain. Many children suffer withdrawal symptoms and behavioral changes when taken off the drugs similar to what a drug addict experiences when stopping long term drug use.

Recent research findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive therapies focused on reducing impulsivity and reinforcing positive long-term habits may be able to replace current high doses of stimulant treatment in children and young adults.

Lifeworksaz has been working with ADHD children providing counseling skills to parents and teens using a combination of cognitive therapies, behavior modification, play therapy, and more to teach children how to manage ADHD with excellent results.

Recent surveys indicate that 12 percent of all children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD’s core symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention, inability to perform monotonous tasks and lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD have trouble in school and forming relationships, and 60 percent will continue to suffer from the disorder well into adulthood if they do not receive counseling and therapy.

Over 3 million U.S. children and adolescents with ADHD were being treated with stimulant drugs. New research reveals that these drugs are not necessarily the panacea they have been thought to be.Research outcomes suggests that if ADHD children and adolescents could learn good study habits early on, medication could become less necessary.

Other research has examined the role of behavioral interventions not only for school-age children, but also for their parents. Parents of children with ADHD tend to exhibit more parenting-related stress and difficulties than do those of non-afflicted offspring. After training parents in stress management and giving them behavioral tools to help their children, significant improvement in their children’s ADHD-related behavior appeared.

Cognitive therapy may also boost improvement: In a 2011, showed that children with ADHD show extra activity in brain areas associated with “task-irrelevant” information during working memory tasks (those that depend on one’s ability to hold and focus on information for immediate reasoning and recall), suggesting that they have less efficient cognitive control. Cognitive therapy and counseling can improve control and ability to focus.

Will medication teach your child life skills? Will meds teach your child values and respect? Will meds help build your child’s self esteem? Confidence? Will medication help your child learn appropriate social and relationship skills? Will medication teach your child or teen have to become motivated and find passion and purpose for the future? Behavior and life skills and counseling can do all the above. There are other things that can help your ADHD child like physical exercise.

Recent research and past research show children and teenagers who took part in a regular physical activity program showed important enhancement of cognitive performance and brain function. Exercise research demonstrate a causal effect of a physical program on executive control, and provide support for physical activity for improving childhood cognition and brain health.

The improvements in this case came in executive control, which consists of inhibition (resisting distraction, maintaining focus), working memory, and cognitive flexibility (switching between tasks).

Exercise programs improved math and reading test scores in all kids, but especially in those with signs of ADHD. (Executive functioning is impaired in ADHD, and tied to performance in math and reading. Studies suggest that physical activity can have a positive effect on children who suffer from ADHD.”

The Journal of Attention Disorders found that just 26 minutes of daily physical activity for eight weeks significantly allayed ADHD symptoms in grade-school kids. .

The number of prescriptions increased from 34.8 to 48.4 million between 2007 and 2011 alone. The pharmaceutical market around the disorder has grown to several billion dollars in recent years while school exercise is on the decline.

A multi-country study that found that obese teenagers go on to earn 18 percent less money as adults than their peers, even if they are no longer obese. The rapid increase in childhood and adolescent obesity could have long-lasting effects on the economic growth and

Physical activity improves mood and cognitive performance by triggering the brain to release dopamine and serotonin, similar to the way that stimulant medications do without side effects.

In conclusion there a wide array of things that can help your child: individual counseling, Behavior modification plan customized to your child, DBT skills, CBT skills, Exercise, Parenting skills, stress management skills and more.

The head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of  Adelaide states that children are being over diagnosed and over prescribed medications for ADD as well as ADHD. There has been a three hundred percent increase between children  3- 7 years old. The Professor states that alternative interventions are needed instead of giving children methylphenidate hydrochloride  commonly sold under the brand Ritalin.

The head Doctor states that the prescription simply dampens the behavior however does not address the root of the behavior. Medications will not teach life skills, problem solving , how to regulate stress and emotions, how to develop healthy social skills,academic skills, sports skills, how to develop coping skills, how to interact with family, healthy life choices. The medication will not help parents develop better relationships with their child and this must happen to improve the child’s behaviors.

Stimulant drugs like Ritalin and many other drugs damage the brains of growing children and teenagers and suppress behavior regardless of a diagnosis or any other disorder. The adverse effects of these drugs on your child go back over forty years. Animals in studies lose their passion, spirit, and vitality. Obsessive and compulsive behaviors are seen in those that take these stimulants.

In some ADHD children, drug induced compliant behavior may be accompanied  by: isolation of your child, withdrawal, and over focused behaviors. Many medicated children will appear “zoned out” “similar to a robot or a zombie. Many children will become more socially isolated by taking these medications and will suffer from social interactions at school as well as at home.

The zombie “look” may look like your child is compliant however it is associated by experts in Psychiatry with drug toxicity and is really not an improvement just a sedation of the child that will not last with the same medication. These medications can cause 20-30 percent decrease  of blood flow to the brain and the brain in adults that were treated with these medications have shown brain atrophy.

These medications are highly addictive and research shows children have higher rates of drug addiction later on in life connected to early use of ADHD medications like the ones mentioned. Tics and obsessive compulsive behaviors go hand and hand with these stimulants.

ADHD  is the expression of a normal child who is bored. frustrated. frightened. angry, or emotionally injured. undisciplined. lonely, too far behind in class. too far ahead of the class. or otherwise in need of special attention that is not being provided.

Some of the adverse side effects can be: child anxiety, agitation, insomnia nd aggression so you might see a more docile child at times however these other symptoms will have a negative impact for your child moving forward and you have not addressed the root cause of his behavior and he or she has not learned how to deal with life, life challenges, peers, emotions, and much more.

Decades of research on treatment for ADHD children and teens show that medication alone will not produce positive long term results in children and adolescents. Behavioral therapy is one of the only type of counseling treatment’s that produces effective results. Looking at your child’s social and behavioral issues is key as well as looking at your parenting style and communication style with your children. All of these areas must be addressed to create huge positive changes at home with your child and with your family and at school with peers.

An ADHD child does display: inattentiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and more. Most children and teenagers that have ADHD show challenges in these areas as well: daily life activities, school academics and school performances, behavioral issues at school, relationships issues with family members and peers at school and outside of school, defiance with parents, noncompliance with parents.

How your child with ADHD will do in adulthood is influenced by four things: (1) whether you use effective parenting skills; (2) how your child gets along with other children; (3) his or her success in school; and (4) whether behavioral treatments can be successfully applied to these critical areas. This is done by teaching skills to parents, teachers, and the children themselves. If learned and implemented by parents and teachers, these skills help the children overcome their problems in daily life functioning. Because ADHD is a chronic condition, teaching skills that will be valuable across the child’s lifetime is especially important. Lifeworks Arizona Counseling has expertise working with children and parents to address ADHD symptoms mentioned above to create success with the family and child.

Effective outcomes must combine counseling and therapy for the child one on one. It also must include parenting and behavioral modification therapy with parent or parents. If teachers are involved than keeping them in the loop as well as having a 504 or IEP that addresses these specific issues with strategies is important.

Having a system that addresses behaviors daily is important. Having parents involved in the behavior modification is essential. Working with the child or teen and parent weekly is important to modify and extinguish undesirable behaviors and it is just as important to reinforce positive behaviors.

Change will happen if you are dedicated to the process with someone who has a history of success with children and families.

The absolute best approach per 100 years of research regarding children and behavior  is an approach that combines individual counseling with parenting tips and family system tips to modify behavior. All of these elements are vital in creating desired change in your child or teenager.

Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. ADHD drugs are tested for 8-12 weeks in experiments and most children stay on the drug for years not knowing how it impacts the brain. Many children suffer withdrawal symptoms and behavioral changes when taken off the drugs similar to what a drug addict experiences when stopping long term drug use.

Recent research findings suggest that behavioral and cognitive therapies focused on reducing impulsivity and reinforcing positive long-term habits may be able to replace current high doses of stimulant treatment in children and young adults.

Lifeworksaz has been working with ADHD children and teens using a combination of cognitive therapies, behavior modification, play therapy, and more to teach children how to manage ADHD with excellent results.

Recent surveys indicate that 12 percent of all children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD’s core symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention, inability to perform monotonous tasks and lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD have trouble in school and forming relationships, and 60 percent will continue to suffer from the disorder well into adulthood if they do not receive counseling and therapy.

Over 3 million U.S. children and adolescents with ADHD were being treated with stimulant drugs. New research reveals that these drugs are not necessarily the panacea they have been thought to be.Research outcomes suggests that if ADHD children and adolescents could learn good study habits early on, medication could become less necessary.

Other research has examined the role of behavioral interventions not only for school-age children, but also for their parents. Parents of children with ADHD tend to exhibit more parenting-related stress and difficulties than do those of non-afflicted offspring. After training parents in stress management and giving them behavioral tools to help their children, significant improvement in their children’s ADHD-related behavior appeared.

Cognitive therapy may also boost improvement: In a 2011, showed that children with ADHD show extra activity in brain areas associated with “task-irrelevant” information during working memory tasks (those that depend on one’s ability to hold and focus on information for immediate reasoning and recall), suggesting that they have less efficient cognitive control. Cognitive therapy and counseling can improve control and ability to focus.