New Ways to Improve ADHD
ADHD can emerge for a variety of reasons, either neurochemical imbalance at the subcortical level or cognitive deficits relating to attention and behavior regulation. If ADHD is the result of the former, medication alone may help attention improve. However, if the culprit is related to cognitive deficits, then a child or adult with ADHD can also benefit from neuroplasticity-based programs that help re-train their brains to be better able to pay attention.
Over 40 years of experience, the Arrowsmith Program has demonstrated that affected areas of the brain can be improved through cognitive exercises, resulting in increased mental capacities and strengthened learning abilities. Weaker areas of the brain are treated like weak muscles and are intensely stimulated through mental exercises in order to produce strengthened learning capacities. Research at Arrowsmith School has also shown that, when the deficient area is improved, the individual’s ability to plan, organize and actively engage in academic work requires far less effort.
At Eaton Arrowsmith, we also promote cardiovascular exercise as a way to decrease anxiety and aid focus. Several studies have demonstrated that 20 minutes of physical activity before learning helps improve concentration, reading and mathematics achievement, and inhibitory control in children with ADHD. Aerobic exercise has also been shown to relieve anxiety and improve mood, both benefits to children facing academic and social struggles as a result of ADHD.
A number of children previously on stimulant medication for ADHD can successfully end this treatment through the Arrowsmith Program. That is, the Arrowsmith Program has found that a portion of children with ADHD actually have multiple cognitive dysfunctions that impact their ability to sustain active engagement in a classroom setting. In these cases, the ADHD diagnosis is not a primary disorder, but rather secondary to the multiple cognitive weaknesses impacting processing, memorizing or conceptualizing information.
If you or your child have or show symptoms of ADHD, a lifetime of medication and remedial coursework may not be the only answers available. Cognitive exercises may be able to strengthen the underlying difficulties so that a return to a typical school or work environment is possible, restoring opportunities for academic and career advancement that may not have been present before.