Some tips on how to help a child with ADD (ADHD)


1) There are 7 types of ADD (ADHD)
Classic ADD - Most common. Impulsive, easily distracted etc
Inattentive ADD - Mainly girls. Easily distracted, daydream etc
Over-Focused ADD - Getting stuck in negative thoughts
Temporal Lobe ADD - Quick anger
Limbic ADD - Low energy, low self esteem
Ring of Fire ADD - Sensitive to noise, touch, speaking fast, unpredictable behavior
Anxious ADD - Anxious, stress, headaches

2) People with ADD (ADHD) have low levels of Dopamine. In class, they might, daydream, walk around the class too much, keep asking to go visit the toilet so they can take a walk, do impulsive things like stealing.

3) Since they have low levels of Dopamine, you need to help them raise their Dopamine levels. One way is thru food. Search for foods which boost dopamine levels.

4)Another way to boost dopamine levels is thru medications like Ritalin. Not recommended for long term use though.

5)People with ADD (ADHD) have problems in their Prefrontal Cortex of the brain. Its the part of the brain when controls how you behave. For example, you should be doing your homework because its the right thing.

6) Here’s how I work with my ADHD kids in class. For example, when asking to do worksheets, tell them how many pages they need to do. Start small. Assure them its easy to do or not too difficult. Then tell them that if they managed to finish their task, you will give them a reward. In my case, my reward is they get to play games on the iPad. Educational games of course. Limit 5 to 10 minutes. Then get back to another few pages of worksheet and reward them with games at the end of the day. The iPad is a great way for kids with ADD (ADHD) to learn because it grabs their attention with all the animation and colours and instant rewards. It also helps raise their dopamine levels. One more thing, don’t stick to the same game for too long or they will get bored.

7) Remember to give them tasks to do which are not too long. Their brains get tired easily so give them water breaks or snack breaks

8)For parents who want to help their ADD (ADHD) child at home with their homework, make sure you give them positive psychological support. If the homework is easy, tell them its easy. If the homework is slightly difficult, tell them its slightly difficult and tell them not to worry as you will help them. Remember to give them breaks before their brains get tired.

9)I use games like Splash Math for the iPad. Kids also like Minecraft but this one if only they managed to complete major tasks.

10) Give them good food for breakfast like fruits (Bananas) and green tea. Never give them milo or fruit juice or bread for breakfast as this is bad for their brains as their sugar levels will rise too quickly.

Hope this helps.

Snow24:

Hi


How is ADHD diagnosed? By doing questionnaire?

What are the strategy that ADHD child can adopt to tackle the problem brought by ADHD?

Would ADHD condition get worse if not diagnosed

You first need to find out what type of ADD/ADHD your child have. There are 7 types at the moment. To treat ADD/ADHD, you need a combination of a proper diet and medication.

Watch this video by Dr Amen about the 7 types of ADHD. Dr Amen is a child psychiatrist. Psychiatrists treats their patients by looking at symptoms and guessing. But Dr Amen treats his patients by looking at their brains via SPECT scan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWnJ4wjVu9k

Robotics Enrichment Classes in Singapore


For those interested in Robotics enrichment classes in Singapore. Here are some which I have compiled. Do give reviews if you have experienced any. Also, let me know if I missed out any.

North

My 1st 3D
http://www.my1st3d.sg/
2 Sembawang Cresent #02-04 Canberra Community Club Singapore 757632


South

Children’s Worklab
http://www.worklab.com.sg
583 Orchard Road, #02-K1 Forum The Shopping Mall S(238884)

Robotics Connection
http://www.robotics.com.sg/
#03-41, Coronation Shopping Plaza,587,Bukit Timah Road, S’pore 269707

Wonders Work
http://wonderswork.com.sg
177 River Valley Road Liang Court #02-23 Singapore 179030

Thinking Tap Robotics
http://sg.thinkingtap.com.sg/
Blk 120, Cantonment Road #04-00, Maritime House, Singapore 089760

My 1st 3D
http://www.my1st3d.sg/
1 Selegie Road #02-20 PoMo Singapore 188306


East

Thinking Tap Robotics
http://sg.thinkingtap.com.sg/
Block 473, Tampines Street 43, #02-98, Singapore 520473

Atom Robots
http://atomrobots.com/
Katong Plaza, 1 Brooke Road, #02-36, Singapore 429979

Avenue Learn
http://www.avenuelearn.sg
Blk 418, Bedok North Ave 2, S(460418), #01-71 (2nd storey)


West

Nullspace
http://c4rl.nullspace.com.sg/
272 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #03-14 Singapore 588212


Thinking Tap Robotics
http://sg.thinkingtap.com.sg/
Blk 202 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1 #B1-63, Singapore 680202

Thinking Tap Robotics
http://sg.thinkingtap.com.sg/
West Coast Community Centre,
2 Clementi West Street 2, #01-03, Singapore 129605

My 1st 3D
http://www.my1st3d.sg/
2 Jurong East Central 1 #04-02 JCube Singapore 609731

Robotic Story Pte Ltd
http://roboticstory.com
1010 Dover Road #01-48V Singapore 139658


Central

Thinking Tap Robotics
http://sg.thinkingtap.com.sg/
Block 150A, Bishan Street 11, #01-173, Singapore 571150

In3labs
http://www.in3labs.com
224A Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574356

Smart Science Lab
http://smartsciencelab.com.sg
101, Thomson Road #01-32, United Square Singapore 307591

lisssa:

hi parents,


I have a boy that is suspected of ADHD. He gets distracted easily and disturbs his friends quite frequently. I often find it difficult to manage his behaviours. Any suggestions on effective strategies?

Ask his parents what he eats for breakfast lunch and dinner. Its probably high in sugar. Stay off foods which causes a spike in blood sugar level like bread and milo and his brain will make better decisions.

ADHD is a brain disorder.

For detailed explanation read my long post here.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum ... &start=320

Hi all,


Been browsing thru this thread on ADD/ADHD, all 33 pages of it and I would like to share a few stuff which I have learnt based on my experience and research on ADD/ADHD. It contains some solutions but do read everything here so that you can understand the findings better.

I worked in a school for many years in various roles and capacity and when I first heard about ADD/ADHD, we were told that they were kids with learning difficulties, can’t sit still and difficult to manage. But what was really unclear to me was how to deal with them. There were some strategies which were taught like making them sit at the corner away from the others, set clear rules, give encouragement and rewards etc. But these strategies work only sometimes and the problem still exists. Surely we need better ideas.

So what happens when a child is suspected of having ADD/ADHD? Well, one option is to inform the school’s learning and behavioural support officer but they will tell you there is nothing much they could do to fix the problem or give a solution except write a lengthy report and refer the case to a child psychologist. Not sure if you like to go that route as it could get very expensive in the long term with all the medications and its side effects. I don’t know about you but I am not a fan of long term medication.

So anyway, I decided to do my own research on ADD/ADHD and this is what I found. See if it matches yours.
1.\tThey can't pay attention long enough during lessons which they find uninteresting.
2.\tThey get distracted easily, for example when people are walking along the corridor next to their class. Extreme cases of ADD/ADHD are when they get distracted even by birds chirping outside. True story by the way.
3.\tThey procrastinate and for 1 hour worth of classwork, they will wait until the last 5 minutes before showing any urgency to finish their work. They do this because people with ADD/ADHD lacks adrenaline in their bodies so they enjoy this sudden adrenaline rush of excitement.
4.\tUntidy spaces. If their room is being cleaned, does it really get untidy in a matter of hours?
5.\tThey are impulsive, meaning they do things without thinking of its consequences. Like hitting someone.

Some facts about ADD/ADHD
1.\tWhen people with ADD/ADHD try to concentrate, parts of their brain involved with concentration and focus, which is in the front part of their brains, actually turns off, just when they need to turn them on.
2.\tParents and teachers can make ADD symptoms worse if they are ineffective.
3.\tThey can make expert parents and teachers appear stressed and inept.
4.\tPeople with ADD have many more visits to the hospital and get injured more.
5.\tSome people with ADD are never hyperactive but are labelled lazy, unmotivated and not that smart.
6.\tChildren with ADD may take hours to do 20 minutes worth of homework.
7.\tChildren with ADD find it hard to sleep at night and some find it hard to wake up in the mornings.

The next thing I discovered that there was 7 types of ADD/ADHD.
1.\tClassic ADD/ADHD
a.\tInattentive, distractible, disorganized, hyperactive, restless and impulsive

2.\tInattentive ADD/ADHD
a.\tEasily distracted with low attention span, not hyperactive, appears sluggish, normally found in girls

3.\tOverfocused ADD/ADHD
a.\tWorries excessively, argumentative, compulsive, often gets locked in negative thoughts over and over

4.\tTemporal Lobe ADD/ADHD
a.\tQuick temper, periods of panic and fear

5.\tLimbic ADD/ADHD
a.\tMoodiness, low energy, frequent feelings of hopelessness, depression

6.\tRing of Fire ADD/ADHD
a.\tAngry, aggressive, unpredictable behaviour, periods of being mean

7.\tAnxious ADD/ADHD
a.\tAnxious, nervous, predicts the worst, often has physical stress, headaches

I got this after watching a video on youtube called \"Healing ADD - See And Heal The 7 Types!\" with Dr. Amen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWnJ4wjVu9k

Dr Amen is a child psychologist from America. But unlike a traditional psychologist who treats their patients by guessing, Dr Amen scans his patient’s brains using a SPECT scan imaging machine to actually see the patient’s brain. Think about it, if you injured a leg, the doctor will do an x-ray on your leg to see and make an evaluation. So do dentists and other doctors. But psychologists? They don’t look at your brain, they guess. It’s like having a mechanic trying to find the problem with your car without even having the hood open.

From my research, there are possible ways to treat this type of ADD/ADHD, such as the following.

Common treatments for ADD/ADHD
1.\tMultivitamin and mineral supplements everyday
2.\t1000 to 2000mg of fish oil every day (Omega3s)
3.\tExercise (No exercises involving heading in soccer please)
4.\tLimit computer games time
5.\tDiet – High protein and low carbohydrates (for most types of ADD/ADHD. Not all)
6.\tNo yelling. Their low activity in their front part of their brain is due to low levels of dopamine. Yelling may make them more alert but will make them crave for being yelled at more and get addicted to it. The person yelling will get more stressed.

ADD is a brain disorder and to remedy the situation, I recommend a diet which helps improve the brain so that it can make better and well thought out decisions such as the following.

Diet for type 1 Classic ADD/ADHD OR MOST ADD/ADHD(High protein & low Carbohydrates)
1.\tFish (Tuna, salmon)
2.\tLean Chicken
3.\tCheese
4.\tLean beef
5.\tTofu
6.\tBeans (Kidney, green beans)
7.\tEgg white
8.\tYoghurt , milk, soymilk
9.\tNuts and seeds (Peanuts, almonds)

**People with type 1 classic ADD/ADHD OR MOST ADD/ADHD MUST AVOID the following foods! **
Avoid these high carbohydrates for classic ADD/ADHD OR MOST ADD/ADHD as it would spike their sugar levels and trigger the ADD/ADHD symptoms like not being able to concentrate in class
1.\tSugars, syrups, sweeteners, sweet drinks like MILO
2.\tCandies
3.\tDried fruit (eg. Dried apples)
4.\tCereals (eg. Corn flakes)
5.\tPotato chips
6.\tCookies and cakes
7.\tFlour
8.\tJams
9.\tBread, toast, donuts, pizza, prata (Go to McDonalds and eat the burger without the bread. White bread is worst)
10.\tPotatoes (Hash browns)
11. Fruit Juice

Natural supplements for Classic ADD/ADHD
1.\tRhodiola
2.\tGreen Tea
3.\tGinseng
4.\tPeople with mild to moderate ADD/ADHD can be treated with natural means. Those with severe ADD need medication
5.\tDifferent types of ADD/ADHD need different types of medication. Taking the wrong medication can have devastating effects on ADD/ADHD patients.




Not all are bad about ADD/ADHD. Some are good.
Advantageous of people with ADD/ADHD
1.\tOften highly intelligent, competent and successful in life.
2.\tMany CEOs with ADD/ADHD thrive when they hire people to keep them on track and organized.
3.\tThey make great ER physicians and trauma nurses.
4.\tThey tend to be people who run towards fires as opposed to people who run away from dangerous situations.
5.\tThey make great heroes during wartime as they tend to throw caution to the wind.

Meanwhile here are a few more strategies you can use for your child with ADD/ADHD
1.\tUse computer games as a reward. Get them to do their homework first and then reward them with some game time.
2.\tDo simple physical exercises at home when free
3.\tGet some exercise in the weekends like swimming or cycling
4.\tADD/ADHD kids don't do boring stuff. They learn best using computers and eLearning. Since they can spend hours on the computer, ask them to try the practices on e-learning platforms like MCONLINE or Khan Academy or learn stuff on YouTube.
5.\tAsk teacher to get him to sit in a less distractible seat in class

For people with ADD/ADHD, having the correct diet is important because what you put in your mouth effects the brain. They really need to stay away from stuff which causes a spike in sugar levels, like bread or flour products especially white bread.

I have one student who told me for breakfast every day he has white bread with butter and sugar, a dangerous combination. Here's the explanation. The starches in bread get broken down quickly in the digestive tract and enter the bloodstream as glucose. This causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. The blood enters the brain and this will affect the brain's ability to make proper decisions and sends signals to the brain that they are hungry again.

A few years ago, some scientists did some experiments on the effects of sugar on the brain in mice. A well fed mice when released in a tub of water always manages to swim back to the hard surface. But mice when fed with a high sugar diet struggles to swim back to land. You can watch the video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8eQ_8Jogcw (28:25)

Even whole wheat bread spikes blood sugar faster than many candy bars. They really need to stay away from, bread and flour products. Need 2 weeks to see clear results. Try having eggs or fruits like bananas for breakfast instead. You can watch a video about bread here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3puLEt5sr68

But if really can't help it, instead of buying white bread, buy Sprouted Grain bread like this one http://darrensim.wpengine.netdna-cdn.co ... -Bread.jpg . Only Sunshine makes this bread. It’s the most decent one which you can find easily here.

But a better bread which is harder to find is Ezekiel Bread which you can try finding it in the fridge section of supermarkets because it does not have any preservatives. http://nataliehodson.com/why-is-ezekiel ... d-for-you/

Also, avoid all products which says low fat like low fat milk. That’s because they replaced the fat with sugar! Remember, fat does not make you fat. Sugar makes you fat. Drink full cream milk.

In conclusion, it is possible to heal ADD/ADHD by eating the right foods and plenty of exercise. I have stopped having bread in my diet myself and I can feel the effects already like no longer feeling hungry or thirsty so soon after a meal.

I suggest you try the above advice and let me know of the results after 2 weeks. Hope it can help as many people as possible.

If you would like to do more reading, try this bestselling book called Healing ADD by Dr Daniel Amen. You can find it in Google Play Books and the first 345 pages is free.

[quote]While the school is not strong academically (only about 50 students out of 240 in the level go on to the secondary school SJI each year),[/quote]

How can you use that to come to the conclusion that the school is not strong academically? The other 190 students who did not go to SJI might prefer to go to other top schools like RI or HCI.
[quote]the homework-playtime is balanced with more emphasis on character building. The school has traditionally many kids from different races and I'm glad to say, they generally mix together very well.[/quote]They generally mix well together because they normally speak English to each other. Students in neighbourhood schools on the other hand tend to communicate with each other in their own mother tongue.

For those staying near Bedok area can try Avenuelearn.sg . They have robotics classes for kids.


http://www.avenuelearn.sg/robotics.html

muffin:

Is the CCA \"Robotics\" any good for DSA later stages?

Yes. But not to SJI.

[quote="muffin"]Thanks for reply.

As only 20 boys will be selected, I’m just wondering if there will be a knockout round if more meets the selection criteria.

Dont think there will be knockout round. No need to ace the tests but u need to pass both tests. Cant fail either one. There is also a time limit so speed is of the essence. In the written test, the boys will be shown a science related video and then be tested on what they have learnt from that video. For the building test, just follow the LEGO building instructions given and but dont build too slowly or make building errors.

Hi there,

Anyone’s boy in Robotics CCA?
May I know what exactly is being tested during the Selection test?

Is your son is an avid reader and can write well? Is he able to follow LEGO building instructions well at home? If the answer is yes to both of them, then there should be no problems passing the test!