ADHD: the classroom epidemic - natural therapies to treat attention deficit hyperactive disorder - includes list of resources

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 1997 by Luise Light

Justin Hill-Smith of Dallas, was a happy, easygoing child who was always on the go -- running, climbing and jumping around. But from the time he was 3, it was obvious to his mother, Deborah, that when he was "wound up," it was hard to get his attention or to get him to mind. Deborah assumed this was normal behavior for a boy Justin's age. At 4, Justin was enrolled in a Montessori pre-school program. Deborah felt that Justin would do well in his new school because he liked to be kept busy, and he was a quick learner. When one of Justin's teachers called, Deborah was genuinely shocked by what she heard.

The teacher asked Deborah to take Justin out of the school and not to bring him back until he was on Ritalin -- a stimulant drug that is a controlled substance in the same class as morphine and often prescribed for children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). The school told Deborah to take her son to a psychiatrist for a comprehensive evaluation to confirm that Justin had ADHD.

The child psychiatrist who evaluated Justin was an expert in the treatment of childhood hyperactivity. After a lengthy workup, he concluded that the school was correct in identifying the boy as an ADHD child. Deborah reluctantly accepted the diagnosis, noticing that even in the doctor's office Justin touched, handled and almost took apart everything within reach.

Justin and Deborah left the doctor's office with a prescription for Ritalin and an understanding that ADHD was a central nervous system disorder for which there was no one simple treatment. Because only 20 percent of ADHD children outgrow the need for medication, Justin would probably be on Ritalin and possibly, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs and tranquilizers, for the rest of his life. Behavior training would be necessary to help Justin change some of his impulsive actions such as running around wildly or using beds as trampolines, and he would need to be schooled in a special educational environment for the learning disabled.

Deborah quit her job so she could provide home schooling for Justin. But after two months on the new regimen, Justin was still bouncing off walls and racing through the house. The doctor increased the dosage of Ritalin, but there wasn't much improvement so Deborah, frustrated with the conventional approach to her son's problems, started reading everything she could get her hands on about ADHD. Among the many things she found out was that Ritalin was not recommended for children under 6 years of age. Justin was given it at 4. Deborah also discovered that there are some physicians who believe that childhood hyperactivity is caused by food allergies, not neurological problems. According to these physicians, once the offending foods are removed from the diet, the hyperactivity diminishes.

A member of Deborah's home-schooling support group suggested she see a local osteopathic physician who treats children for hyperactivity without drugs. Mary Ann Block, D.O., who practices in Hurst, Texas and is the author of No More Ritalin (Kensington, 1996), says her medical education started when her daughter, Michelle, experienced a chronic illness that was caused by food allergies. Doctor after doctor prescribed drugs for Michelle, who kept getting sicker. Block finally found an osteopathic physician who was a good medical detective and believed that drugs should be the last resort, especially when the drugs only treat symptoms and have serious side effects. Under the osteopath's care, Michelle was restored to health, but the healing journey was so difficult and stressful that, that at the age of 39, Block decided to go to medical school herself. "I went out of self-defense and in defense of my daughter," says Block adding, "but no one should have to go to medical school just to be able to care for his or her child."

Justin Hill-Smith's mother was more fortunate. Instead of going to medical school, she made use of Block's medical services. After treatment by Block with a combination of diet, behavioral training and osteopathic manipulation, Justin, now 11, is drug-free and symptom-free. In fact, he is now in a college prep program and doing very well.

WHAT IS ADHD?

Justin and Michelle are like 4 and a half million other children in the United States, between 4 and 11 years old, who are being referred by their teachers to psychiatrists and neurologists for the treatment of the behavioral and learning disorders collectively known as ADHD. Believed to be caused by a deficiency of norepinephrine, a chemical messenger needed by the brain to inhibit muscle activity and impulsive behavior, between 3 percent and 6 percent of children in the United States are believed to suffer from ADHD, a condition much more common here than in Europe. ADHD's defining symptoms include: either behaviors labeled inattention, the so-called quiet symptoms of ADHD (such as making frequent, careless mistakes, failing to pay attention to details, not listening when spoken to, difficulty organizing tasks, lack of follow-through, losing things, forgetfulness and easy distractibility) or hyperactivity and impulsivity, the two types of behaviors most often identified with ADHD. This grab bag of behaviors includes the more disruptive, least easily managed ADHD symptoms that are ten times more common in boys. Behaviors include fidgeting, squirming, running and climbing instead of sitting, talking incessantly, blurting out answers before a question is framed, difficulty awaiting turn and butting in on others.