by Lisa Stephens

Created on: July 13, 2009   Last Updated: July 16, 2009

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood behavior or psychiatric disorders. As of 2006, four and a half million children, ages 5-17, have been diagnosed with ADHD.

Children can display an array of behaviors and symptoms of ADHD, but those that are more frequently seen include a long history of having a short attention span, they are easily distracted and impulsive. Many have moderate to severe hyperactivity, emotional lability (very rapid fluctuations in intensity and modality of emotions), minor neurological signs and at times an abnormal EEG. It is estimated that approximately one quarter of all children with ADHD also have serious learning disabilities such as, oral expression, listening skills, difficulty in reading, comprehension and/or math skills. Roughly half of these children will experience sleep problems.

We live in an era where schools are over populated and classroom sizes are large. For teachers this creates many challenges to remain in control of their classrooms in order to provide a successful learning environment. Sadly but true, many family doctors and pediatricians are frequently under pressure (usually from teachers, social workers and pharmaceutical companies) to prescribe medications (most commonly Ritalin) to children who are labeled as having poor behavior and not performing well in school. While it is true that there are those children who truly benefit from medication as a part of their overall treatment, medicating your child should always be a last resort after other treatment options have been fully explored.

As a mother of four boys, two of whom have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, I found the health risks of medications such as Ritalin were not worth the minimal benefits of medicating my child. It was a struggle with the school they attended, however through much research, trial and error, I discovered that changes in their overall diet made drastic improvements in their behavior and in their performance at school. Below are some diet strategies that I discovered along the way; ones that have been researched and have been shown to be effective in the majority of children. It has been my experience with my own children, that by following most of these tips, they have benefited greatly and have remained medication free.

One key component to developing a diet for your child is first ruling out any food allergies. Children in general are sensitive to many foods, and certain

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