i didn't even know what ADHD was until my daughter was diagnosed. I thought I was a bad parent even though I have two perfectly adjusted children too. Now I understand she just has a different way of viewing the world and I can help her see the world as I do with a few small adjustments to the way we do and learn things.

Hi,

ADD does exist as you said, and I agree diet can help an awful lot. I used the Davis methods to help my own kids and have since become trained in the methods I was so happy. Check out www.focusonlearning.com.au if you are interested in hearing more. The book the Gift of Learning by Ron Davis is also interesting.

I just commented on ADHD in Kevin's advice post.  Boy do I live with the "reality".  Combine ADHD with bipolar disorder for real interest.

My son living with bipolar/ADHD has done very well for several years on the non-stimulant drug Strattera for ADHD.  Just wanted to mention it for those who may not have heard of it.  He has had no side effects.  He was recently dx bipolar and added a medication due to BD which included suicidal tendancies and the medications are working well together...doesn't solve everything, but allows him to manage his life in a more balanced manner along with psych therapy and behavior modification techniques.

Like a lot of others I worked on my son's diet - but he was very much like MadMel's sister - couldn't concentrate, didn't think before he acted, hyer etc and we saw such a huge improvement initally with his meds. When he was at school he spoke to his psychologist about increasing the dose, at first he was put on slow release dex, but that increased his blood pressure and heart rate, so he was put back on the tablets.  His psyc has said he won't increase the dose as he doesn't need it - some days his normal dose is fine, but there are times when he does need extras, eg when he was learning to drive and getting his license.

He works it out for himself now, but we still control them as we know that if I just gave him the bottle they would not last the two weeks.  The last 4 years have been trial and error.

AD/HD affects the whole family

It is a real disorder... don't let anyone fool you. But it is something that can be controlled through diet, exercise and a good healthy dose of nature. Tell your sister that certain foods and food additives can aggrivate ADD and ADHD. She should avoid giving her son anything with food dyes... some of them are actually derived from petrolium and have been known to cause behavior problems in children. Don't give him anything that is processed.... and stay away from any snack foods especially flavored chips and the like. Most of them contain MSG (which can be disguised as spice, spices, natural flavor or anything like that on the label in the US and goes buy food enhancer 621 in AU... also tell her to avoid anything with the food enhancer 635... that one is suspected to cause serious rashes in young children). Her best bet would be to feed him whole foods like fruits and veggies and just stay away from boxed and canned stuff all together.

Some kind of structured exercise is good too... like taking martial arts. It gives them an outlet for their extra energy and teaches them how to focus. And kids like this need lots and lots of time outdoors. Tell her to spend as much time at a local park with him as she can.

These things won't cure him, but they'll certainly calm him a bit and make her life (and his) a lot easier to handle.

It gives me the willys when people stand in judgement over others.  ADHD is a medical condition. That is a fact. Poor parenting can cause some of the symptoms of adhd but not all. Once you have been exposed to adhd either personally or via friendships you stop being cynical. I certainly am in awe of parents who cope with adhd. (mine has mild adhd and anxiety disorder). I can assure you I am not a poor parent. In fact probably spend more time working with my child than most parents.  Nice to chat to you