Over one million U.S. children
currently
take Ritalin, a number that gives pause to
even staunch supporters of the drug. Long-
term effects of the medication are still
under study. And Ritalin's biggest
shortcoming; according to Judith Bluestone
of Seattle's HANDLE Institute, is that it
masks the symptoms of ADD without
addressing the underlying causes.
Bluestone--who has three decades'
experience working with neurological
impairment in both the U.S. and Israel--
believes medication can be helpful in the
treatment of ADD. What she doesn't advocate
is its indiscriminate use. HANDLE's
nontraditional methods involve strengthening
neural pathways, or neural rehabilitation.
Besides people with ADD, patients at the
institute include those with closed head
injuries, learning and language disorders,
Tourette's Syndrome, and autism.
Changes in a chiId with ADD’s physical
environmment can lessen distraction, and
help him or her stay on track, Bluestone
and many other experts say. “Often the
problem isn’t an inability to pay attention,
but an tendency to pay too much attention to
a particular task. This hyperfocus is hard
work, and the presence of other stimuli--say
revised instructions from the teacher--can be
very stressful.” Perhaps the child needs to
be placed in a quiet comer of the classroom or
given a pair of headphones. His tests may not
differ in length from other classmates’, but
contain only 5 questions on a page rather than
30. And for the ADD child, Bluestone says
movement and learning are often very tightly
linked. “They don’t want to disobey the
direction, ‘Sit still and listen’. It's just
not the way they process information. Motion
helps them learn.”
Perhaps the most important aspect of treating
ADD is simply reminding families of their
youngster’s unique potential. Bluestone says,
"Sometimes we put labels ahead of people.
My hope for the children I see is that the
roadblocks come down and doors finally start opening." |
3...Washington
Basic Health: Insurance for All?
The Basic Health Plan has been called
Washington's best kept secret. If you don't
already have health insurance, you may
want to consider this affordable plan.
4...Close Calls, Wild Rides With Kitsap
Paramedics
Medicine's frontline has seen almost
everything--and saved it, too, Despite long
shifts and difficult challenges, this cavalry
daily rises to the occasion.
6...When Allergies Are Nothing To Sneeze At
If you're sniffling and sneezing season after
season, the cause may be allergies-and not
a simple cold. Treatment could help you
breathe easier.
7...Taking Charge of Your Child's Asthma
Nobody knows why the incidence of asthma
is rising. But you can take steps to reduce
the risks to your kids.
8...Prostate Cancer: First You Fight Fear
Men are often reticent when it comes to their
health. And while the diagnosis of prostate
cancer brings no easy answers, it's clear that
what you don't know can hurt you.
10...At Wit's End About Attention-Deficit
Disorder?
Atiention-deficit disorder symptoms drive
most parents to distraction. But when the
problems are addressed early, both family
and child can thrive.
13...Harrison's Urgent Care Offers Fast-Track
Medicine
Illness and accident rarely respect office
hours. New urgent care clinics in Port Orchard
and East Bremerton are filling the gap.
14...Antibiotics: Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Ever since antibiotic's became common in
the 1940s, canny microbes have been
undermining them. Will relying on the
drugs less today make us safer tomorrow?
15...When Sleep Won't Come ... Tricks for the
Tired
Simple measures may do the trick if you're
having difficulty slowing down.
16...Community Calendar
Screenings, classes, and support groups.
Harrison Memorial Hospital is a 297-bed,
not-for-profit community hospital
offering a comprehensive range of services.These
include stale-of-the-art
diagnostic imaging;stereotactic breast biopsy; laser
and laparoscopic surgery;
obstetrical, emergency and urgent care. Heatih
is published Quarterly by
Harrison's publications department. Material
provided in Health is intended
to benefit members of our community, and not as
specific medical advice.
Treatment programs should be undertaken underthe
direction and supervision
of a physician. David Gitch, President/CEO
Anne Halloran, Managing
EditorDuwain McBride, Chairman of the Board Patti
Hart, Assistant Editor
Georae Bern Chief of the Medical Staff Edquist
Design, Design |
