As a fellow researcher, parent, guardian, nephew, uncle, carer I feel highly uncomfortable with the labeling system that has become a natural part of most societies.

Let us start a fresh with Children with ADHD. Instead of labeling them as 'Children with ADHD' why not call them 'Gifted', or 'Talented' or 'Highly focused', or 'Impressively able to multi task'?

The perspective that you use to look at ADHD will influence greatly your treatment of this biochemical imbalance and also the results that you are likely to get. Note that I use the word biochemical imbalance instead of dis-ease or disorder. Let me clarify that.

A dis-ease is defined by the Webster's dictionary as: a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning. There are a lot of implicit meanings of the word dis-ease. It usually means that the person who is dis-eased is in some way or another 'not normal'. It implies that dis-ease requires some sort of treatment, and in the medical world that usually means having to take some form of medication. The word also implies sickness (ill health) when children with ADHD are apparently healthy except for their behaviours.

Disorder is also a misnomer because children with ADHD don't have really any part of them that is 'out of order'. Their brain functions may be different from that of other people, they may be hypersensitive, easily distracted, act on impulse but you have to remember that every body is built differently and as such require very individual care. So let us get the naming right, ADHD is at its simplest a condition of biochemical imbalance.

You can see how the use of language itself can greatly change the way we understand a condition as well as treat it. With regards to children with ADHD, the treatment is simply a balancing act (pardon the pun), a biochemical balancing act if you will.

So what are the different systems that maybe imbalanced in children with ADHD?

Here is a brief list Brain chemicals also known as neurotransmitters

Parenting imbalances also known as miscommunication

Environmental imbalances e.g. oxygen content of environment, pollution, dust mites, electromagnetic radiation

Physical imbalances e.g. restless leg syndrome, improper breathing technique, lack of exercise

Sleep imbalance e.g. beta brain wave predominance, slow to enter deep sleep etc

Immune system imbalance e.g. having food intolerances, allergies etc

Nutritional imbalance e.g. too much sugar or carbohydrates

Water imbalance e.g. dehydration

Nervous system imbalance e.g. more sympathetic compared with parasympathetic response

Artificial food colouring, flavouring and preservatives overload

You will notice as you go through the list that there are a lot of interconnections between the areas. The definitions are somewhat arbitrary as the human body needs to be treated as a whole for any treatment to work. Neglect in any one area may be the triggering factor for inappropriate behaviours.

The message for today is simply understand the basis upon which the imbalance is built and target that imbalance. Stop thinking that children with ADHD are dis-eased. They are not, they simply are more sensitive to their environment. One of my good friends called children with ADHD 'Canaries of the 21st century' this is because in the olden times canaries were used in mines to detect toxic fumes. Due to their small surface area to volume ratio, the canaries would keel over when there were small amounts of toxic gas around. In the 21st century, children with ADHD might just be doing the same. Their behaviour indicates to us that the environment is becoming less and less hospitable and unless something is done, the behavioural symptoms are only going to get worse.

How is the environment around your child? What can you do to improve it? You'll find out very shortly.

Thank you for reading.

If you have any questions, simply write to me at questions @ the adhd specialist . com (without all the spaces in between, this is to decrease the possibility of junk getting into my mailbox :P )

Warmest regards,
The biomedical researcher/ ADHD specialist
Hoe Bing

End article 'Children with ADHD'