Search Results for: blog six ways to deal with a hyperactive child

EEG Neurofeedback: Can a Video Game Teach Your Child to Learn?

Since video games are captivating for most children, why not use them to teach developmentally delayed kids how to learn? Video games are now being used in connection with EEG neurofeedback, which has shown tremendous promise for children with ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Sensory Integration Dysfunction. Fox News Reported yesterday about the benefits of EEG (electroencephalogram) neurofeedback, where special electrodes are attached to a child’s head (it’s painless) to monitor brainwaves while he plays a stimulating video game. As long as the child remains tranquil and focused, the game will function properly. If the child’s brainwaves become erratic, the game … Continue reading →

Does Your Child Have ADHD or Central Auditory Processing Disorder (or Both)?

Children with central auditory processing disorder have similar symptoms to those with ADHD. Both disorders cause children difficulty with paying attention, difficulty distinguishing foreground and background noise, and difficulty with following directions. Some people are unfamiliar with the signs of central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). Here is a comparison of both disorders: ADHD The child has difficulty focusing on tasks that are not interesting or stimulating. The child has a hard time ignoring background noises, which makes it hard to pay attention. He or she does not have any notable difficulty with memory. He or she is impulsive, and acts … Continue reading →

Children’s Standard Time: How a Child’s Internal Clock Affects Learning

Children do not perceive time in the same way that adults do. Studies have shown that children have a very difficult time segmenting time into parts. This is why the public school system concept of time broken into forty minute sections marked by a ringing bell is often counter-productive to a child’s learning. Just as the child is warming up to the activity and becoming involved, it’s time to change subjects. Maria Montessori described times where some children become completely engrossed in a stimulating educational activity, calling it “the great work.” She said that during these intense periods of learning, … Continue reading →

Six Ways to Deal With a Hyperactive Child

Children with ADHD, Autism, or various neurological disorders often have frustrating bouts of hyperactivity. Some children have such high energy levels mixed with defiance or impulsivity that they can’t focus properly at school or maintain friendships. I’m convinced that these kids can benefit enormously from medication. (Read my blog, “ADHD and the Maddening Missing Meds.” ) But some children may not require medication, and only need some parental guidance to regain control. Here are six ways you can help a hyperactive child: 1. Channel the energy. A child with endless amounts of energy, who is bounding up and down the … Continue reading →

The “Sugar High” Appears to be a Myth

There is a commonly held belief that children who are given too much sugar will immediately engage in hyperactive behavior. The concept seems to be that kids get a “sugar-high” from sugary treats and that this causes them to have a ton of extra energy. But, is that really what is going on? In the 1990’s Dr. Mark Wolraich, who is currently chief of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, was among the researchers that investigated sugar’s effect on children. They found that sugar does not appear to affect behavior in children. One study on this topic … Continue reading →

Getting Kids to Exercise

I grew up with parents who normally did not exercise, unless their employment demanded it. This was due to how they were raised, and what their society taught them. This had negative effects on their health later on, one parent being depressed, and going from doctor to doctor without being helped in any major way, the other being an extreme puzzle for the doctors, who finally acknowledged they didn’t know what to do with him. Both my biological parents died from heart attacks and strokes, one at the early age of 56. Going to school, and socializing with people who … Continue reading →

Is ADHD Becoming More Common in Older Kids?

A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in July 2008 took a look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. ADHD is characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and an inability to focus or concentrate. In children, ADHD usually appears by the age of seven. The problem is often noticed in school, leading to diagnosis before the age of twelve. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate that more than four million children in the United States have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. According to the CDC report that surveyed nearly forty thousand households: The rate … Continue reading →

Foster Parents Will Have Emergencies

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Yesterday, I was in the car at a crowded intersection and an emergency vehicle had to go through in a very big hurry. I was glad that they were not coming for me. It made me think about the times that I have been in an emergency situation. I was involved in an accident on my motorcycle when I was in law school. I also needed emergency help more times than I like to admit when we received four badly traumatized little boys into our home. We had a close friend living nearby who had shown us over the years … Continue reading →

“It’s Nothing Personal.” Kids with Behavioral Disorders

When we parent children with problem behaviors, it’s hard not to take their actions personally. My stepdaughter, who has ADHD and suspected ODD, has tirades and vengeful behaviors which have occasionally hurt my feelings deeply. The questions that come to mind are “WHY do you have to act like that?” “WHY can’t you behave like your older brother or sister?” “WHY are you the child who keeps getting into trouble at school?” And, even more secretly, “WHY can’t I change you?” Losing it… On one occasion, I just lost it. I did. I got down on my knees and yelled … Continue reading →

Sleep Disorder: Jeremiah’s Story

Tonight might be the last night I don’t get any sleep. In January my son Jeremiah will turn five. He was placed with us for adoption three-days before his first birthday and has NOT slept through the night even one night since he joined our family. For the first year I just lived with it thinking it might be normal for a little baby who had already been in the care of four different mom’s. I just resigned myself to the fact that he and I would share those hours in the middle of the night together and bond better. … Continue reading →