ADHD Focus

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​Nutritional Supplement Tips

In this Wellness Tips post, we are going to continue our discussion about ADHD with nutritional supplement tips and then finish with teachers’ tips for managing afterschool homework. In the previous post we discussed magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, and choline may often be lower in children struggling with ADHD. We will look briefly at each of these, and I will share some supplements that may be beneficial in addressing these.

Magnesium is beneficial in helping to regulate proper functioning of the brain and proper functioning of the neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and norephinephrine. It has a calming effect on the body and can also be beneficial in children experiencing constipation.

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids meaning the body can not make them; they must be derived from the diet or supplementation. If your child is not eating 2-4 servings of fatty fish per week, they likely are not receiving enough omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are  components of the cell membranes of the cells throughout the body. They are needful for brain, eye, immune, and gut health.

Phosphatidylcholine may also play a role in the effective management of reducing symptoms of inattention in children with ADHD. It is likewise a component of the cell membrane. It may be obtained from soybeans, egg yolk, cabbage, cauliflower, and meat. It may also be obtained from taking a phosphatidylcholine supplement. It is a more expensive supplement often referred to as “liquid gold”.

The following are nutritional supplements that may be helpful for some children in managing ADHD challenges. They should be approved by your provider and dosed according to age. The following supplements may be obtained through Fullscript.

Reminder: For your child's safety, it is recommended to purchase products directly from the manufacturer or a healthcare professional company, not third party e-commerce sites, due to recent research and reports of products being tampered or adulterated on those sites.
Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3594738

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Afterschool Homework Tips

Written by my daughter, Alisa, who has been a 5th grade teacher for 8 years and has worked extensively with children struggling with ADHD in the classroom.

In the last post, I talked about my top tips to help students succeed in the classroom. These tips were all things that could be done by you, as the child’s caregiver to prepare them for a successful school day. Now, what about when your students’ homework comes home that needs to be finished? Oftentimes for parents, this seems like an even bigger “battle” for them to fight, especially after their kiddo has worked so hard to hold it together and give their teacher their best effort at school. What are some strategies that can help the homework completion be more successful and less of a battle for parents at home?

Oftentimes, your child has given their best effort during the day. They come home and their brain is exhausted. Students with diagnosed ADHD or ADHD tendencies must work much harder than other students to focus, control their brain, and complete sustained activities. Students typically desire to please their teachers and do their best in school. However, this desire to please and the hard work that is exerted exhausts their brain much more than their peers.

When students with ADHD come home from school, the last thing their brain wants to do is more school. Home is usually viewed as a safe place-a place to let their guard down. This may actually manifest itself in increased difficult behaviors, attitude struggles, and unkindness to parents or siblings. It can be an avoidance mechanism for the brain to by-pass more sustained effort and work. This is what often leads to the conflict between parents and students regarding homework completion.

So, because of this, give your students a complete brain break coming home from school. Set the timer for 30-40 minutes. Have them go outside and play. Have an engaging and active activity for them to complete. Do NOT make them immediately read a book, and screen time definitely is not helpful in this situation. Have them engaged in an activity that stimulates the body and rests the brain.

After the brain break, give them a nourishing snack high in protein and low in carbs. This gives the brain food for completing their tasks.

Create a study area that feels comfortable and welcoming for your students. A place that they recognize as their own and that they want to go to. Maybe include some fun lights or pictures, their own desk or organization system, some special pencils or pens that can only be used for school work at home-anything that evokes a feeling of comfort and excitement. 

After your student has had this mental break and is now in their safe study space, read aloud the general homework directions to your student if at all possible. Oftentimes, the hardest part of an assignment is simply getting started. Reading and focusing on directions can also often be a challenge for students with ADHD. Limiting the amount of direction reading that students have to complete on assignments can allow students not to get bogged down in the directions but then have a jump start into the assignment. This also allows the student time to ask any initial questions they may have about the assignment.

Stay away from the mentality that “you have to work on it until it’s finished.” Students all have differing academic levels and needs. What could take ten minutes for one student, could take an hour for another. If you adopt the mentality that you have to work on it until it’s done, this can lend itself easily to overwhelm and frustration. Brightly colored sand timers are such a fun resource for students. Instead of saying, “Work on this until it’s done” try “do your best on this until the blue sand runs out; then you can take a short break.” Breaking up assignments into timed increments can be hugely helpful for the ADHD brain. 

Try incorporating these homework tips with consistency into your child’s daily routine. Consistency done with love and positive reinforcement can help provide your child with the essential fundamentals for success in the classroom, at home, and everyday life.

Additional References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7011463/
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/1/3/261 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30267523/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4170184/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30807974/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5581161/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8618748/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31383279/

Interested in natural options for addressing your child’s health challenges? Wellness 4 KIDS is here to help. Contact us for a FREE Pediatric Wellness Discovery Call or learn more at Wellness4KIDS.net