Rosemary attended the TATRA Conference on “The Very Best Remedy for ADHD and the Processing Disorders” on the 10th March 2014.
Dr. David Nowell from the University of Massachusetts Medical School was the keynote presenter, distinguishing multiple areas of processing disorders and how to manage them.
He spoke about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a neurodevelopmental disorder which there are significant problems of attention, concentration, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviours. Parenting children with ADHD is a challenging at the best of times. Dr. Nowell suggests that parents need to determine what basic provisions are unconditional (love, respect, safety etc) and which are contingent upon appropriate behaviour (special foods, video game time, internet access etc).
Furthermore, Dr. Nowell stated that a comprehensive program for ADHD could include medication of stimulants and non-stimulants as well as off label remedy. He emphasised that Neurofeedback is an ideal management strategy combined with a diet high in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids with protein in every meal while minimizing or avoiding processed foods.
Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), was also discussed. This is a difficulty in processing auditory information despite normal hearing. Symptoms of CAPD are poor communication, interpreting figurative speech literally, poor memorising skills and needing constant repetition. Interventions include metalinguistic strategies such as schema induction, context derived vocabulary, metacognitive strategies of self-instruction, cognitive problem solving and assertive training.
Dr. Nowell highlighted that multimodal interventions must be managed concurrently in all environments at home, school and outside activities.
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is the difficulty to process and organizes sensation from the bosyand surrounding environment, dealing with multiple sensory modality inputs such as vision, auditory, tactile and olfactory. Interventions for SPD are OT, physiotherapy, sound therapy, speech therapy, diet and nutrition.
