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Houston Chiropractic Neurology is dedicated to helping children with ADHD improve their focus and attention leading to a more successful academic and personal life. We contend that neuro-behavioral disorders like ADHD and Asperger Syndrome, as well as learning disorders like Dyslexia, have in common an imbalance in the connections and function between and within the hemispheres of your child’s brain. In other words, the brain of a child with ADHD is out-of sync, which contributes to the symptoms of ADHD and other disorders. This imbalance is a Functional Disconnection. The good news is the brain can improve and change throughout a person’s lifetime. This phenomenon, called neuroplasticity, is at the heart of the specialized brain balancing rehabilitation.
After completing a comprehensive assessment of your child’s brain and body function, we create a customized physical, sensory-motor, and cognitive program for your child aimed at correcting the imbalance and improving motor function, which leads to a reduction or elimination of negative behaviors and symptoms associated with ADHD.
Parents choose our non-pharmaceutical approach out of care and concern for their child’s disorder and development. Impulsiveness, focus, conversational speech, coordination, appetite, digestion, all improve as the intricate neurological function of the brain improves.
If your child with ADHD could benefit from increased attention and focus, better social skills, and academic improvement, consider Houston Chiropractic Neurology for evaluation and specialized programs. Our non-medical, proprietary learning program has helped hundreds of children with ADHD reach their social, physical, behavioral, and academic potential.
The Truth About ADHD
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 5 to 10 percent of children, worldwide. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least two will have ADHD.
Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 4.5 million youth ages 5-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD by a health care professional, and as of 2003, 2.5 million youth ages 4-17 were currently receiving medication treatment for the disorder. The CDC estimated a 2 times greater incidence in males.
Terry Davis, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee member, has been quoted as stating that ADHD drugs filled annually have a value of 3.1 billion dollars/year.
The FDA revealed in February 2006 that between the years 1999 and 2003, 78 million prescriptions had been written. Currently more prescriptions are written for ADHD than for any other childhood condition. It is conservatively estimated that over 20 million prescriptions for ADHD related drugs are written annually.
Types of ADHD and its Diagnosis
The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) states that ADHD is a developmental disorder that presents during childhood, in most cases before the age of seven, and is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention and/or hyperactive-impulsive behavior. It also stipulates that in order to be diagnosed, the condition must cause significant impairment in at least two settings.
The DSM-IV-TR divides ADHD into three subtypes: predominantly inattentive (sometimes referred to as ADD), predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. People presenting with symptoms of ADHD who don’t quite fit any of the subtypes can be diagnosed with “AD/HD Not Otherwise Specified”(American Psychiatric Association, 2000).
The symptoms of ADHD fall into the following two broad categories:
1. Inattention:
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Failing to pay close attention to details or making careless mistakes when doing schoolwork or other activities
Failing to pay close attention to details or making careless mistakes when doing schoolwork or other activities •Trouble keeping attention focused during play or tasks
Trouble keeping attention focused during play or tasks •Appearing not to listen when spoken to
Appearing not to listen when spoken to •Failing to follow instructions or finish tasks
Failing to follow instructions or finish tasks •Avoiding tasks that require a high amount of mental effort and organization, such as school projects
Avoiding tasks that require a high amount of mental effort and organization, such as school projects •Frequently losing items required to facilitate tasks or activities, such as school supplies
Frequently losing items required to facilitate tasks or activities, such as school supplies •Excessive distractibility/ Forgetfulness
Excessive distractibility/ Forgetfulness 2. Hyperactivity-impulsive behavior:
•Fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat
Fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat •Leaving seat often, even when inappropriate
Leaving seat often, even when inappropriate •Running or climbing at inappropriate times
Running or climbing at inappropriate times •Difficulty in quiet play
Difficulty in quiet play •Frequently feeling restless
Frequently feeling restless •Excessive speech
Excessive speech •Answering a question before the speaker has finished
Answering a question before the speaker has finished •Failing to await one’s turn
Failing to await one’s turn •Interrupting the activities of others at inappropriate times
Interrupting the activities of others at inappropriate times Accordingly, a positive diagnosis is usually only made if the child has experienced six of the above symptoms for at least three months. Symptoms must appear consistently in varied environments (e.g., not only at home or only at school) and interfere with function.
If your child’s long-term issues with inattention, hyper behavior, and impulsivity are preventing his or her success, we invite you to consider Houston Chiropractic Neurology Program. Clinical research indicates that Neurobehavioral Disorders like ADHD have in common an under-connectivity of electrical activity in the brain called Functional Disconnection Syndrome. After we complete a comprehensive assessment of your child’s brain and body function, our team integrates physical, sensory-motor, and cognitive exercises with simple dietary changes to correct the underlying connection issue and reduce or eliminate negative symptoms and behaviors. Each student’s program is unique!
THE UNIQUE BALANCING BRAIN APPROACH
We are brain based, not drug based. We subscribe to the theory that the brain can be changed—something once thought impossible. That means your child’s problems aren’t permanent, and the situation isn’t hopeless.
We recognize that many childhood disorders are actually manifestations of a single underlying condition. Called Functional Disconnection—an imbalance in the connections and function between and within the hemispheres (sides) of your child’s brain—this condition is responsible for a host of behavioral, academic, and social difficulties.
We measure and improve your child’s brain and body function on numerous dimensions.
To gain a full understanding of your child’s difficulties we first conduct a comprehensive assessment of all areas of their brain and body function. Then, by integrating physical and cognitive exercises with dietary change, we are able to correct the underlying imbalance, improve function and reduce/eliminate negative behaviors.
We create a program tailored precisely to your child’s needs. Once we understand the uniqueness and severity of your child’s challenges, we then custom design physical and cognitive activity plans and easy-to-follow dietary guidelines to establish proper connections and improve rhythm and timing. This multi-faceted approach helps your child achieve optimum body and brain function.
We support your family. We offer an encouraging environment where your child can develop while giving you continual real-time feedback, expert consultation, and assistance.
Contact us today to learn more. Houston Chiropractic Rehabilitation: 713-772-4607.
Houston Chiropractic Rehabilitation
