Help With ADD

Treatment Alternatives For Attention Deficits

The best way to provide help for Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD, in children, is to first understand the type of attention difficulty --either ADHD-PI (Predominantly Inattentive, also referred to Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD) or ADHD-PH (Predominantly Hyperactive) -- and the cause. There are three main causes:

1. Learning Disabilities, Mainly Processing Related. If learning or reading is difficult or exhausting, students are prone to distractibility and struggle to stay on task for long periods. This is often called an inattentive attention deficit disorder.


2. Sensory Integration. If internal thoughts are not in synch, there is noise in the brain and attending is a challenge.


3. Environmental Factors. Studies have linked diets, allergies and other environmental factors to ADD.

Gemm uses learning software with professional oversight that provides help with ADD stemming from the first two categories. In many cases learning difficulties and ADD are hard to separate. In these cases we treat the underlying learning difficulty first.
Learning software

ADD Related To Processing Disorders

Almost all students with a processing disorder to at least some minor degree have symptoms of inattentive attention deficit disorder. Consider these scenarios:

-- Student listens in class but can't take the lesson in at the speed delivered and/or simply can't understand the lesson. Student finds the lesson exhausting or boring and tunes out. 

-- Student finds reading exhausting or struggles to pick up the meaning of the text. And so student avoids reading where ever possible and only reads in short spurts.

These students are often diagnosed as having ADD.  But what they really have is a learning issue. They are struggling to focus because they are not able to absorb the content without a gargantuan effort.

We use the Fast ForWord program as an ADD treatment for these underlying language related cognitive issues. The program includes attention stamina as one of its targeted cognitive skills because attention deficits in children with language issues are common, making focus one of the skills that needs to be practiced.
Targeting processing to provide help for ADD

When Gemm is able to improve learning efficiency and effectiveness, reading and school work are less exhausting and more interesting. Staying engaged is a natural byproduct. Improved focus is one of the most common feedback comments we hear from our clients.
Program for inattentive attention deficit disorder

ADD Related to Sensory Integration

Sensory integration -- timing in the brain -- is a growing area of interest for scientists studying attention deficits in children with symptoms such as:

-- poor balance or difficulty learning to ride a bike

-- weak hand to eye coordination

-- losing their position on sports fields

Gemm Learning tackles sensory integration based attention issues using BrainWare Safari software. It has twenty different exercises most of which have an attention component. Specifically it has timing and multi-sensory exercises that tackle the cause of ADD, as well as exercises that seek to train the student in the different attention skills needed, namely:

• divided attention -- the ability to focus on two tasks at once, such as listening to a teacher and taking notes
• selective attention -- ability to avoid distractions
• sustained attention

BrainWare Safari is a home based attention deficit disorder treatment available nationwide with professional Gemm program manager oversight.
More on BrainWare Safari