What is ADD/ADHD?
Children with ADD may go unnoticed much of the time as they are not troublemakers at school or at home. They have difficulty with attention, working memory, and distractibility. On the other hand, children with ADHD exhibit symptoms as well as hyperactivity and impulsivity. Here at Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale and Du Quoin, IL, our local occupational and physical therapists can help.
According to the CDC, ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (12.9% compared to 5.6%). The estimated number of children ever diagnosed with ADHD, according to a national 2016 parent survey, is 6.1 million (9.4%).
Children with ADHD have altered function in their brain’s prefrontal cortex which is responsible for attention span, perseverance, judgment, impulse control, organization, problem solving, critical thinking, learning from experience, and empathy.
What Causes Of ADHD/ADD?
The causes for ADHD are unknown, but current research shows that genetics plays an important role.
In addition to genetics, scientists are studying other possible causes and risk factors including:
- Brain injury
- Exposure to environmental factors (e.g., lead) during pregnancy or at a young age
- Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy
- Premature delivery
- Low birth weight
Children with ADHD show delayed brain maturation. In recent years, children with ADHD may be exhibiting worse symptoms than in previous years due to lack of creative play and more time spent on TV and/or video games.
What can be done to Treat ADD/ADHD?
According to the NIMH, when children with ADHD were given both medication and behavioral therapy, after two years 50% of the benefit of this treatment regimen had vanished, and after three years there was NO REMAINING DEMONSTRABLE BENEFIT.
Children with sensory processing difficulty often get diagnosed with ADD. At Synergy Therapeutic Group, our occupational therapy involves sensory experiences, and responses to these experiences, which is found to be more effective than pharmaceuticals, psychological analysis, or rewards/punishments in helping the brain and body to develop optimally.
Children with ADHD will also be benefited from the specialized services at Synergy Therapeutic Group. Our occupational therapy addresses the needs of these children through techniques including (but not limited to) vestibular exercises, guided movement exercises (to stimulate higher functioning centers of the brain), breathing exercises, calming techniques, games to develop the frontal lobe, and dietary guidance.
To schedule an appointment, please call us in the southern Illinois area at one of our offices located in Carbondale or Du Quoin, IL or click here.