Attention Deficit Disorder Charlotte

Summer is here! Trade your backpacks for beach bags!

The car is packed, the family is excited, and chances are everyone is bored 30 minutes into the ride. If your family is taking a vacation from technology as well, try  these “unplugged” options to keep your kids thinking while passing the time. 

Classic license plate games

The options to play games using license plates are endless, depending on the age of your kids.

• Younger kids can call out letters in alphabetical order; the first one to Z wins.
• Ask your child to identify the letter and provide the correct sound. 
• Older kids can "collect" out-of-state plates they see. (Make it tougher by going in alphabetical order.)
• Write down the numbers and letters you see on license plates.  Ask kids to make words and number sentences using the numbers and letters you wrote down. 

Create a scavenger hunt

Create a scavenger hunt list before you leave.  Kids can search for everything from farm animals to popular landmarks.  Keep a running tally of what you see to practice math vocabulary with younger children. Who has the most, least, equal, how many more do the have?

MadLibs!

Who knew grammar could be so fun!  Children can take turns practicing parts of speech while creating silly stories.  MadLibs are available at most bookstores and have even been spotted at the Dollar Store on occasion.

The Picnic Game:  Practice working memory skills!

One player says, "I went to a picnic and brought” (then name a picnic favorite that begins with the letter A, like apples). The next player repeats the opening phrase, and then adds one that begins with B: "I brought an apple and some bread."  Make it challenging for older kids by naming objects they see along the way.  For example, A is for armadillo, B is for barn, etc.

An recent article on Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, examine the value of regular physical activity for children. This article highlights objective research that shows without a doubt that there are big benefits to this heavy work activity that we recommend for our kids. The benefits are not just for the kids with sensory or self-regulation challenges, but for all kids. 

Click the following link to read the full article: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137130.html
 

Here is an excerpt: “Since the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001, 44 percent of school officials have cut back on physical education to devote more time to reading and mathematics in the classroom," according to the report.

However, research suggests that regular physical activity may actually improve academic performance, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) noted. For instance, aerobic fitness is linked to working memory and problem solving. Recess offers children the opportunity to develop social skills and use their imaginations. Benefits of physical activity during the school day are greater than the benefits of exclusive use of classroom time for academics, the authors concluded.”

This is especially relevant to OT because we frequently treat children who have difficulty with self-regulation. These are kids who are getting all of the sensory inputs that the world has to offer but they can’t seem to handle it all and so their systems get disorganized. This results in all kinds of challenges for them to function successfully in their daily settings. We frequently recommend what we call “heavy work” activities to help with this outside of what we do in the clinic environment. 

Heavy work is essentially physical activity that grown-ups would call exercise. It’s generally anything that makes your heart beat faster, makes you sweat, and makes you breathe heavier. 

In my work as an Occupational Therapist at Child and Family Development, I hear often from children that they “didn’t have to do anything” in gym class or they didn’t have to participate. Even if your child has a regular hour of gym class every day, which is not so common anymore it seems, it is still important to help them move around outside of school. 

Tips for getting more exercise in

• Try to go for a walk after dinner or right when you get home. It doesn’t have to feel like work to count as exercise, any movement is good movement. That exercise will actually help them sit better for homework time. It may be beneficial to delay homework time for 30 minutes to go for a walk. I know it’s hard to work full time, take care of everything else in your child’s schedule and still even find time to feed yourself something decent let alone to add something to that schedule. 
• Start small, start by just going outside in the yard to play catch or basketball for 5 or 10 minutes at a quiet point in the day. Work your way up from there. 

The research shows exercise is not just good for your children’s physical health but perhaps even more importantly it’s beneficial for their emotional and mental health as well.

Is your child 2 years, 3 years, or 4 years old, and having difficulty walking up or down stairs? Watching your toddler master stair climbing can be a nerve wrecking experience. As your child becomes more curious and adventurous, it is critical that they have the proper strength and coordination to safely climb up and come back down stairs. What many parents may not realize is that, for a toddler, going up stairs is much easier than coming back down. Therefore, you may notice your toddler make their way up a staircase, but have no way to get themselves back down. Most toddlers will master walking up the stairs before they can walk back down. Here is a general timeline that most children follow when it comes to stair climbing.

Timeline:

• On average, by 9 - 12 months, children can crawl up stairs.
• On average, by 18 months - 2 years, children can take steps two feet per step, while holding a rail or one hand.
• On average, by 2 years - 2 years 6 months, children can walk up stairs independently, two feet per step, without any support.
• By 2 years 7 months - 3 years, children can walk up and down stairs, one foot per step, while holding a rail.
• On average, by 3 years, children can walk up and down stairs, one foot per step, with no support.

As a general rule, most children should be able to walk up and down stairs independently and alternating feet by the end of their third year. Here are some warning signs that indicate a developmental delay among toddlers relating to stair climbing. 

Learning to climb stairs should be done under the close supervision of an adult. Provide close by assistance as your child climbs up or down stairs. Here are a few ways that you can help your child master stair climbing.

How to help:

• When first learning to climb stairs, children are most supported when both hands are held by an adult. They will then progress to success with one hand held with the other hand holding a rail. Children can then move onto holding only a rail, followed by one hand placed on the wall, and eventually will walk up and down stairs with no support.
• Often children want to keep both of their hands on the rail when they are learning stairs. If you want your child to practice with only one hand on the rail, give them a soft toy to hold in one hand so that only one hand is free to hold the rail.
• Before attempting an entire staircase, practice going up or down the last one or two steps up or down the stairs first. When your child is comfortable walking up or down the last couple of stairs of a staircase, slowly start to add in more stairs.
• When walking up or down stairs, children often arch backwards, relying too heavily on a nearby adult for support. Help them keep their head over their lead foot when walking up and down stairs.
• If your child is practicing hands free stair walking, always stay close below your child as they climb up or descend stairs in case they lose their balance and fall.
• To help your child walk up or down stairs while alternating feet, tap each leg as a physical cue and point to the next step.
• As a general rule, children lead with their stronger leg when walking up stairs and lead with their weaker leg when walking down stairs.
• If you notice that your child always prefers to lead with one particular leg, try placing a sticker on the shoe of the non preferred leg. When it is time to step, tell them it is time for “sticker foot” to take a step.

Need help?

If you want help with these suggestions or notice any of the above mentioned warning signs, a Physical Therapy evaluation can determine if your child is simply showing normal variability in gross motor development or if your child can benefit from intervention. Call me today at (704) 332-4834 ext. 114 to set up an evaluation.

References

Brown, Stephanie. "When can my child start walking up stairs?." About.com. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2013. <http://babyparenting.about.com/od/toddlermilestones/f/When-Can-My-Child-Start-Walking-Up-Stairs.htm>.

Robin, Suzanne. "Helping toddlers with walking up and down stairs." The Bump. Demand Media. Web. 18 Feb 2013. <http://preschooler.thebump.com/helping-toddlers-walking-up-down-stairs-2115.html>.

"Warning signs of a toddler's physical delay." Baby Center. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2013. <http://www.babycenter.com/0_warning-signs-of-a-toddlers-physical-delay_12287.bc>.

Author Paul Gilbert of ADDitude: Living Well With Attention Deficit magazine recently featured Cogmed in an article titled, Brain-Training Tools for More Attention, Less Deficit:  These ADHD therapies offer fun and games with a serious purpose: increasing your child's focus. 

Here is the link to the article: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/10076.html

Here at Child and Family Development, Joy Granetz, Ph.D. offers this program.  She is one of a few trained Practitioners in our area. Dr. Granetz is a North Carolina licensed psychologist and has over thirteen years of extensive experience.   Dr. Granetz is based at our South Charlotte clinic where she provides neuropsychological assessment and psychoeducational evaluations of children and adolescents with special focus in working with children and adolescents with learning disabilities, attention disorders, head injury, tic disorders, and epilepsy. Dr. Granetz also provides therapy for children and adolescents with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties. To find out if Cogmed Working Memory Training is right for you, call our South Charlotte office to schedule an initial appointment.    

Visit their website, http://www.cogmed.com/, for more information about this state-of-the-art intervention.  A free parent webinar is available.

August 31 is the deadline to register for Cogmed and receive $200 off the regular package price! 

Cogmed is a non-medical intervention that has passed rigorous clinical studies that showed significant improvement in working memory, concentration, sustained attention, impulse control and complex reasoning skills in children with attention deficits.

Joy Granetz, Ph.D., is one of a few Cogmed Qualified Practitioners in the Charlotte area.   Dr. Granetz is a North Carolina licensed psychologist and has over twelve years of extensive experience.   Dr. Granetz is based at our South Charlotte clinic where she provides neuropsychological assessment and psycho-educational evaluations of children and adolescents with special focus in working with children and adolescents with learning disabilities, attention disorders, head injury, tic disorders, and epilepsy. Dr. Granetz also provides therapy for children and adolescents with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties.

To learn more about Cogmed Working Memory Training:

• click the Psychology tab on the Child and Family Development website
• read about Cogmed on our blog 
• visit http://www.cogmed.com/ for a free webinar

A weighted vest is a vest which has had weight added and provides compression to the upper body or torso area. When an occupational therapist recommends adding a weighted vest in a therapy session or to a home sensory diet, it’s our goal to add more proprioceptive or heavy input (or “heavy work”). Heavy input impacts the proprioceptive system, which is read by our muscles and joints and tells our brains where our bodies are in space. 

When an occupational therapist adds additional weight or work for the proprioceptive system, it can have a calming and organizing affect. It also helps to provide additional feedback about where our bodies are in space, which can help to make motor planning and coordination easier for kids with sensory processing difficulties. Weighted vests are beneficial for some children with sensory processing difficulties, but not liked by all of them! They are worn for short periods of time and their use should be guided by an occupational therapist. 

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of weighted vests and other pediatric therapy equipment, contact an occupational therapist at Child & Family Development in Charlotte.  

We can create a sensory diet just for your child. 

Auditory Processing Disorder (also called Central Auditory Processing Disorder or CAPD) is a general term referring to disordered processing of sounds that takes place in the pathways between the auditory nerve, which connects to the ear, and the higher-level auditory pathways in the brain.  It is important to know that auditory processing disorders are not the result of a hearing impairment – people diagnosed with APD hear normally, and a hearing impairment must be ruled out before an auditory processing disorder can be diagnosed.  Auditory processing disorders are near to my heart because many of my pediatric speech therapy clients have either been diagnosed with APD or show symptoms of it!

What are the signs and symptoms?

Inconsistent listening skills are a common sign of APD, especially when environmental noise is present.  Other signs include:

-needing instructions to be repeated multiple times

-saying “What?” or “Huh?” several times per day

-misunderstanding what is said often

-difficulty paying attention when someone is talking

-short attention span in general (ADD/ADHD often coexist with APD)

-difficulty with phonics / letter sounds

-being slow to respond to what has been said

-appearing to hear but not understand

How do I find out if my child has an auditory processing disorder?

Auditory processing disorders are typically diagnosed by an audiologist, who rules out a hearing impairment before diagnosing APD.  A speech therapist can verify symptoms of APD and provide treatment after a child is diagnosed.  They also evaluate and treat language processing disorders, which are similar to APD but involve how receptive and expressive language is processed in the brain rather than auditory input in general.  Feel free to contact Child and Family Development if you have any questions about auditory processing.

As a Speech Therapist, I am always looking for new ways to motivate and encourage Speech and Language development.  I use the IPAD during Speech Therapy, and often recommend apps to IPAD owning families. 

My Favorite App to improve Speech and Language Development of the Month is...(drum roll please!)

I Like Books

Description:  This app contains 37 "I like" picture books that contain engaging stories written by Miranda Paul paired with real pictures.  The words are highlighted as they are being read. All the stories are customizable; you can add your own voice, your own photos and even your own ideas!

Why I like this app:  I like this app for many reasons!  During speech language therapy, I use this app to improve question generation/answering skills, story comprehension/literacy skills, and to increase vocabulary development!  I love that "I like books..." uses "real" pictures, helping children learn and explore "their" world.  This app makes story time fun!  Try it and see!

Cost:  FREE!!!

A psychologist at Child and Family Development can help kids and adolescents live life to the fullest.

Evaluations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) We provide comprehensive assessments to determine if a child has an attention disorder.  The evaluation may include a cognitive assessment, standardized behavior rating scales and questionnaires completed by parents and teachers, a computerized test of attention and an assessment of executive functioning skills.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Two psychologists, Carol Capehart and Dr. Chris Vrabel, specialize in these assessments and can diagnose ASD. The evaluation may include a cognitive assessment, standardized behavior rating scales and questionnaires completed by parents and teachers as well as a battery of ASD-specific testing tools.

Social/Emotional/Behavioral Adjustment An evaluation to assess overall emotional/ behavioral adjustment may include standardized behavior rating scales, an in-depth interview with parents to collect relevant history, as well as a comprehensive interview with the child, when appropriate.

Neuropsychology Kids are typically referred for a neuropsychological evaluation if they are experiencing difficulty in learning, attention, behavior, socialization, or emotional control, a disease or developmental problem that affects the brain in some way, a brain injury from an accident, birth trauma or some other physical stress. Testing can help determine the effects of developmental, neurological and medical problems, such as ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, epilepsy or a genetic disorder. Dr. Joy Granetz and Dr. Gretchen Hunter have this expertise.

Early Kindergarten Entry/IQ Testing We offer cognitive and academic readiness assessments required by public schools to enter kindergarten as a 4-year-old. We also provide cognitive evaluations that are a required part of the application process to many private schools in the area.

Therapy

Individual Counseling We provide individual therapy for a wide range of difficulties, including ASD, attention and executive functioning difficulties, mood issues, emotional regulation, anger management, family problems and overall adjustment issues.

Family Therapy Many times, we recommend that the whole family to be involved in counseling in order to learn different ways of interacting and resolving problems. 

Groups We provide several group therapy options, including Social Skills training for children and adolescents with ASD, ADHD, or other social interaction difficulties. Also, we offer parent support groups.

CogMed Cogmed Working Memory Training is an innovative home-based computer program that helps people with attention problems by training and increasing their working memory capacity. This program is managed by a Certified Practitioner, Dr. Joy Granetz. Proven results demonstrate that after training, people improve their ability to concentrate, control impulsive behavior and better utilize complex reasoning skills.

With diverse expertise, interests and experiences, we are ready to provide a wide range of evaluation and treatment services to the Charlotte community.

After her son completed the Cogmed Working Memory Training program here, a mother shared their story with Child and Family Development:
 

A few years ago, my son was diagnosed with ADD/ ADHD.  His grades were non-existent, as he forgot or refused to do his work.  His behavior was spotty at best, and when frustrated would have frequent tantrums and loud outbursts.  He was on several stimulant and non stimulant medications to try to help him control his attention, outburst, and impulsive behavior.  None worked.  Even with medication, he was a short tempered, short focused mess.  The last straw was when the medicine he was taking caused him to faint on a waterslide.  Imagine my horror!  Was there nothing that would help my child that won’t make him a zombie or cause other risky side effects?

In a final effort, we reached out to Dr. Joy Granetz.  She recommended a program that did not involve medication that would improve his attention, behavior, and memory.  This was too good to be true!  We knew we had to try this Cogmed program.

The Cogmed program was easy to install, and my son loved the exercises and rewards at the end of the day.  While not every day was “fun”, weekly phone conferences between him and Dr Granetz made him feel in control and a part of the process, while the reward system motivated him to continue.  Even when we had to go out of state unexpectedly, we were able to take the Cogmed program with us and use it on the road, wherever an internet was available.  This made it easy to stay on task, and complete the sessions on schedule.  Five week flew by quickly, and for the first time my son enjoyed the since of accomplishment from following through a program from beginning to end.

Now, 2 months later, the difference is staggering!  He no longer has outbursts in groups.  He is able to carry a conversation and finish a task without forgetting one or the other.  He no longer gets frustrated easily, but stays focused works through problems.  His grades improved from straight Fs to close to honor roll!  The best is teachers and leaders comments on how well behaved he is and how he is a joy to be around.

The Cogmed program has changed my son from a troubled child to a terrific kid.  Even after the program is finished, I still continue to see improvements on how he sees, interacts and handles the world around him.  This program not only helped a little boy, but a whole family.  Thank you, Cogmed and Dr Granetz, for finding a non-medicinal way to help us and give us our happy, healthy son back to us.

For more information about Cogmed Working Memory Training, visit their website, www.cogmed.com, To learn if this program is right for your child, contact our South Charlotte office at 704-541-9080 to schedule an Intake appointment.

Kids are typically referred for a neuropsychological evaluation if they are experiencing difficulty in learning, attention, behavior, socialization, or emotional control, a disease or developmental problem that affects the brain in some way, a brain injury from an accident, birth trauma or some other physical stress.

Testing can determine the effects of developmental, neurological and medical problems, such as epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia or a genetic disorder.

Often, a neuropsychological evaluation is part of a collaboration with many professionals, including but not limited to pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, educators and other pediatric therapists. 

At Child and Family Development, there are two neuropsychologists on our team.

• Joy Granetz, Ph.D. @ South Charlotte office
• Gretchen H. Hunter, Ph.D. @ Midtown office

Contact our office to schedule an Intake appointment. 

My Disclaimer...

This blog is going to be for a step by step guide to my child's developmental milestones  I have a girl, please note that girls typically develop speech milestones faster, whereas boys typically develop physical milestone faster.  It can be used as a guide for other families, but please keep in mind that all children develop at different rates and should you have any concerns about where your child should be, you should speak to your pediatrician or schedule an appointment with a therapist in our office. 

My daughter's 2nd month...

My baby, in month 2, is still advanced as far as I am concerned.  You see I am a pediatric speech therapist in Charlotte, NC who rarely gets to see a typically developing child, so anything she does just looks superior to me. 

In her second month of life my daughter began to lift her head and chest off the tummy time mat.  Tummy time is very important; all of my coworkers at Child and Family Development have mentioned this to me time and time again, so we do it multiple times a day.  The doctor saw her for her check up this month and he said something to the effect of, “I am not going to ask you if you do tummy time because it is very obvious that you do”.  I mean I am not trying to brag or anything, but I did tell you my daughter is advanced in my last blog.  I haven’t yet had the heart to tell the pediatrician that I am a pediatric speech therapist; I just want all of the glory of how well my daughter is doing.

She watches me as I move around the room and had been doing this for a couple of weeks, when the doctor said I should begin to notice it.  Do you think my daughter will be brilliant and have better than average visual perceptual skills?  I do, but like I have said before….I AM biased.

She is cooing, lots of aaaahhhh and oooohhh’s.  Maybe an occasional /m/.  I as a speech therapist and thrilled to see this!!    

She copies facial movements, like sticking out her tongue when she sees here daddy, because she knows he likes it and he will laugh at her.  AND she began to smile…at 5 weeks.  Oh how I love to see her do that.  I thought it was a fluke the first time, but it continues to happen.

She watches everything.  I have even had to start turning off the television.  I remember articles and research that have been done about how too much tv/video games and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are related somehow.  I don’t remember the statistics, but if we can avoid adhd at my house, we are going to, so no tv for the 2 month old!

Speaking of hyperactivity…She moves her arms, legs….oh my goodness I hope she isn’t as active as her daddy, but it is appearing she may be.  She can get on her side.  Sometimes she appears to be spasming, I am sure that it is just a normal phase and she will become more coordinated, please, please.  Man if she gets something in her hand she does not let go, no matter what it is.  Bye-bye earrings, bye-bye hair, bye-bye necklaces, etc…I will miss you.

Hmm she now weighs 10 plus lbs and is now 24 inches long.  She is in the 98 percentile for height, 95 percentile for head circumference, and 40 percentile for weight.  I suddenly have a giant.  She has grown 6 inches since birth…it doesn’t seem fair that they grow so fast. 

When looking at behavior, there are close similarities displayed with both children who have attention difficulties (ADD/ ADHD) and sensory processing disorder (SPD).  Co-morbid diagnoses may include Autism, Developmental Delays, and Learning Disabilities.  Common characteristics for children with both sensory seeking SPD and ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive type) are as follows: impulsivity, excessive activity, disorganization, impatience and poor self-control. 

However, more specifically, children who have SPD tend to be more in control of stopping impulsive behaviors.  They may crave activity relating to a specific sensory system, may become more organized after receiving proper sensory input and may be more patient while waiting if give proper sensory input.  They commonly poke/pull/touch others without proper sensory input.

Those who have ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive type), tend to continue impulsive behaviors, be disorganized and have difficulty waiting-even with sensory input.  They tend to crave activity not related to a specific sensory system.  They often talk a lot, impulsively interrupt, and have difficulty waiting a turn during a conversation.

Children and teens with a new diagnosis of AD/HDl may feel confused about what AD/HD means for them. Luckily, there are many books out there that are written in age-approapriate language. As part of a psycho-educaitonal evaluation or treatment for AD/HD, we often recommend some of the following books:

For Children:

• Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention by K. Nadeau, Ph.D. & E. Dixon, Ph.D. (2004)

• Putting on the Breaks by P. Quinn, M.D. & J. Stern, M.A. (2008)

For Teens:

• The ADHD Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Gain Motivation and Confidence by L. Honos-Webb, Ph.D. (2011).

• The Girls' Guide To AD/HD: Don't Lose This Book! by B. Walker (2009)

 

For Young Adults:

• Survival Guide for College Students with ADHD or LD, by K. Nadeau, Ph.D. (2006)

• ADD and the College Student: A Guide for High School and College Students with Attention Deficit Disorder by P. Quinn, MD. (2001)

For more resources, talk to a psychololgist at Child and Family Development at either of our Charlotte offices.

Along with many rating scales and other standardized tests, the team of child psychologists at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, NC often uses a continuous performance test as one part of our psycho-educational assessments.

The Brain Train website, www.braintrain.com, provides a detailed description of the IVA+Plus and other tests and protocols. 

The IVA+Plus is a unique combined auditory and visual continuous performance test which provides data in order to to help psychologists and other clinicians better assess the ADHD symptoms of individuals ages 6 through adult. Following the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-IV, IVA+Plus provides data that allows for differentiation between the four sub-types of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type (formerly called ADD), ADHD Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, ADHD Combined Type, and ADHD Not Otherwise Specified.

The IVA+Plus is a useful tool. It provides a wealth of objective data, follows the DSM-IV guidelines for a unique integrated format, identifies both auditory and visual inattention and impulsivity, mixes visual and auditory stimuli, creating a "real-life" task, increasing test sensitivity and power and improves diagnostic accuracy. In a validity study, IVA+Plus correctly identified clinician diagnosed ADHD children 92.3% of the time and accurately assessed treatment and medication effects. Research studies demonstrate excellent test-retest reliability and stability.

The Family Clinic: Multi-Modal Management of ADHD and Related Emotional Issues was founded in February 1991, a joint effort of Carolina Neurological Clinic and Child and Family Development, to provide services to children diagnosed with attention disorders.

Since 2001, Dr. Pleas Geyer of Carolinas Medical Center has led the collaboration. The Family Clinic has broadened it’s scope to include not only children with ADD/ADHD, but also autism spectrum disorders, developmental disorders, anxiety, depression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and other emotional issues.

The Family Clinic meets at our Midtown office on most Wednesday afternoons.

The treatment goal is to carefully monitor and support children with diagnosed ADHD/ADD, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and related emotional disorders, including medication therapy, focusing on the impact on development and school performance.

Pleas R. Geyer, M.D.. is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who provides care and medication management of children and adolescents diagnosed with emotional and developmental disorders. Dr. Geyer is in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Carolinas Medical Center, and is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He brings a depth of experience in his treatment of our child and adolescent population. Dr. Geyer is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in General Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry.

Contact Jenny at our Midtown office to learn more about The Family Clinic. 

Fidget toys are small objects that can be used during school, in the classroom, or at home to focus a need to move, help kids pay attention, or help to decrease anxiety. Children with attention deficit disorder (ADHD), hyperactivity, sensory processing disorder, or anxiety may be able to benefit from a fidget toy. Fidgets should help your child focus, should not make distracting noises, and should not distract other children in your child's class. When fidgets start to interfere with focus and functioning in the classroom, they should be taken away & a new approach should be attempted. Make sure to ask your child's teacher before sending a fidget with your child to school.

More ideas for fidgets, include using small toys that provide additional tactile input, such as squishy, spikey, gooey, and moveable surfaces. A classic figet, or "stress ball", can be made easily at home. Just take a thick balloon, fill it with sand or flour, and tie it securely. You may also want to fill a balloon with playdoh for a different texture, and finger strengthening. 

Make sure to take your childs needs & any safety concerns related to mouthing objects or immaturity into account before providing your child with a fidget. For more information on helping children with ADHD, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, or hyperactivity in Charlotte, NC contact an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development.
 

While certain foods are able to calm, help organize, and sometimes increase attention for children with ADHD and sensory processing disorders (see previous post), other foods are alerting.

Alerting foods can be good to increase the arousal level of children who are typically low arousal. They may also need to be considered foods to avoid during particular points of the day when inattention, hyperactivity, or sensory challenges may be present.

Alerting foods can include:
- CRUNCHY FOOD: like bavarian pretzels, carrots, apples, banana chips, pickles, popcorn, crackers, granola bars, nuts, raw vegetables, etc.
- Sour and spicy flavored foods
- Cold items (ice, popsicles, ice water, ice cream)
- Carbonated drinks
- Sucking on hard candy like Warheads, Fire balls, sour balls, Hot Tamales, etc.

If you are looking for more information on oral strategies, ADD, or sensory processing, consult with an Occupational Therapist at Child and Family Development.