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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Asperger’s Disorder, and Autism

Children with ADHD will have behavior that is significantly more inattentive or hyperactive than that of his or her peers of a similar age. They will often have trouble paying attention to details, staying on task, following directions, difficulty organizing tasks, be easily distracted, leave their seat often, fidget, talk excessively, answer questions inappropriately, and can have trouble waiting for their turn.

Children with Asperger’s Disorder will have impaired social interaction which can include poor eye contact, inappropriate facial expressions, difficulty making and maintaining friendships, a lack of sharing achievements, lack of emotion, and repetitive behaviors. The symptoms cause clinically important impairment in social, occupational or personal functioning. There is no delay in language, cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior, and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

Children with Autism exhibit similar difficulties as children with Asperger’s disorder, but, in addition have developmental delays. There can be delays in speech, social and physical development.
Children with ADHD, Asperger’s and Autism usually share common underlying issues that can contribute to their disorder. Treatment of these disorders focuses on four main areas: digestive health, immune functioning, detoxification pathways, and home environment.There is testing that can be done to diagnose which area(s) are not functioning optimally.
We frequently use the following tests:
Food Sensitivity Test: This is a simple blood test that tests your child’s blood with over 70 different foods. It will identify the specific foods your child has a sensitivity to. Food sensitivities can contribute to behavioral issues, attentiveness, anxiety, depression, headaches, and GI disturbances.
Organic Acid Test This is a urine test that will identify candida/yeast overgrowth and bacterial imbalances in the digestive tract.It also will give us information about neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin), vitamin levels (vitamin B-12, vitamin C, etc.), and antioxidant levels.
Comprehensive Stool Analysis This is a stool sample that will identify candida/yeast overgrowth and bacterial imbalances, as well as digestive tract function (digestive enzymes, inflammation).

These tests are used to diagnose where the body is not functioning at its best, so we can develop a treatment program specific to your child.We recommend diet changes such as a Gluten Free Casein Free diet, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or, using a food sensitivity test, we can tailor a diet specific for your child’s needs. There are many nutritional and herbal supplements that can improve digestion, the immune system and the detoxification pathways. Homeopathic remedies are also used to bring about balance throughout the child’s body and mind.