Mental health professional have long debated about whether relaxation techniques can help children with ADHD. An article published in Medical News Today, December 30, 2008, examines this issue. The article reports on a study published December 2008 in the peer-reviewed online journal Current Issues in Education. The study "....was conducted in a private K-12 school for children with language-based learning disabilities. Participation was restricted to 10 students, ages 11-14, who had pre-existing diagnoses of ADHD. About half of the students were on medication. The students meditated at school in a group for 10 minutes, morning and afternoon...To determine the influence of the TM technique, at the beginning and end of the three-month period, parents, teachers and students completed standard ADHD assessment inventories measuring stress and anxiety, behavior and social competency, and executive function. Students were also given a battery of performance tests to measure cognitive functioning." The results of the study were very interesting. "....[in] middle school students with ADHD who were meditating twice a day in school...researchers found over 50 percent reduction in stress and anxiety and improvements in ADHD symptoms...The children also showed improvements in attention, working memory, organization, and behavior regulation....after the in-school meditation routine began, teachers reported they were able to teach more, and students were able to learn more because they were less stressed and anxious." A second study of TM and ADHD children also showed positive improvements in ADHD. "A second, recently completed TM-ADHD study with a control group measured brain function using electroencephalography (EEG). Preliminary data shows that three months practice of the technique resulted in significant positive changes in brain functioning during visual-motor skills. Changes were specifically seen in the circuitry of the brain associated with attention and distractibility. After six months TM practice, measurements of distractibility moved into the normal range." The implications of these two studies are quite significant. First, parents of children who have ADHD should give serious consideration to adding TM to their children's treatment plan. As this study shows, even in children who are already receiving medication for their ADHD can still gain significant benefit from TM. Second, child psychiatrists and pediatricians who routinely prescribe medication for the ADHD child patients, should encourage parents to try TM in their children. Third, parents of ADHD chidlren should definitely speak to the health care treatment providers of their ADHD children to determine if their child is a candidate for TM as an adjunctive treatment ffor their child. And, fourth, public health professionals should increase public education and awareness efforts to educate parents about the benefits of TM as a possible treatment for ADHD in children.
Resources:
Thirteen Great Books on ADHD
- Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey (Paperback - Mar 2, 1995)
- Answers to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey (Paperback - Mar 1, 1996)
- Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD by Jennifer Koretsky (Paperback - Sep 24, 2007)
- Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD: Beyond Piles, Palms, & Post-its by Terry Matlen (Paperback - Jan 1, 2005)
- ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau (Paperback - Aug 2002)
- Organizing Solutions for People With Attention Deficit Disorder: Tips and Tools to Help You Take Charge of Your Life and Get Organized by Susan C Pinsky (Paperback - Dec 1, 2006)
- Making ADD Work: On-the-Job Strategies for Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder by Blythe Grossberg (Paperback - Sep 6, 2005)
- Women with Attention Deficit Disorder: Embrace Your Differences and Transform Your Life by Sari Solden, Edward T. Hallowell, and John J. Ratey (Paperback - Nov 29, 2005)
- Scattered Minds: Hope and Help for Adults with ADHD by Lenard Adler and Mari Florence (Hardcover - May 4, 2006) - Bargain Price
- 10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD: How to Overcome Chronic Distraction & Accomplish Your Goals (10 Simple Solutions) by Stephanie Sarkis (Paperback - Jan 2, 2006)
- You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder by Kate Kelly, Peggy Ramundo, and Edward M., M.D. Hallowell (Paperback - April 25, 2006)
- Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults, 4th Edition: A Different Way of Thinking by Lynn Weiss (Paperback - Nov 25, 2005)
- The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents by Nancy A. Ratey (Hardcover - April 1, 2008)
Resource and Support Groups for ADHD
- Attention Deficit Disorder Association
- The Center
- Adders.org
- Daily Strength
- ADHD news.com
- Additude
- About.com ADD ADHD
- WebMD
- The Real Beauty of ADHD Support Groups
- Wegohealth
Additional Resources:
Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
Additional Resources:
- For related articles on ADHD on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
- For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog, go to “Psychiatric Disorders: ADHD: General” or type in the keyword “ADHD and Children” into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
- For more books with related content, click any hyperlinked keyword in the blog or type in the keyword, “ADHD and Children” into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.
How to Understand the Treatment of ADHD in Children. Watch this top rated video from Yourtube:
Sources: Orginal article, See also blogposts in: Psychiatric Disorders: ADHD: General and Children, Youtube
Dr. Tanya Korkosz
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