Food additives linked to ADHD

One of the most common diagnoses we see in school is ADHD.  And is it any wonder?  According to CNN.com, this diagnosis has risen 22% in the last few years!  Why is that?  According to Health.com, this is in part due to the use of the following food additives: Blue #1 and Blue #2, Green #3, Orange B, Red #3, Sodium benzoate, Red #40 (the most widely used food coloring in the U.S.), Yellow #5 (the only food dye tested and officially linked to hyperactivity) and Yellow #6.  What can a parent do to be sure they aren't feeding the family a big helping of ADHD?  Some good rules of thumb are to limit processed and pre-packaged foods, always read labels in the grocery store, and limit eating in restaurants.

What is academic coaching?

You have found our blog and you enjoy the posts, but seems like many of you are still wondering what exactly we do.  Here it is folks!

As academic coaches, our goal is to equip your son or daughter with the skills necessary to become an exemplary student.  We work primarily with bright, capable students in grades 4-12 who lack the structure, self-discipline and organization to excel academically.  We use research-based strategies that empower your child to successfully take control of his or her own learning. 

How does it work?

Each child, each school, and each teacher are different.  Changes do not happen over night and any lasting change requires a strong partnership between student, parent, teachers, and the academic coach.  Coaching sessions usually occur weekly and in some cases we may suggest two sessions per week to start.  Once substantial progress is made, students may be weaned down to one or two sessions per month or discharged entirely.

What do the sessions look like?

The intake session is an hour long and includes both the student and parent(s).  We ask that parents please come prepared with your intake forms filled out, as well as copies of your student’s last four report cards (one full academic year).  If you do not have the last four report cards, you can obtain them by calling your school’s office.  Most schools require at least 24 hours notice to pick up documents.  Once we have discussed the goals of our work together, both student and parent will sign commitment statements which will be reviewed on a weekly basis.  Parent(s) will also sign a release of information so that we may communicate with your student’s teachers, school counselor, or other school staff. Each coaching session is an hour long.  The first 45 minutes of the session are the student and coach only.  The parent(s) joins the session for the last 15 minutes to review progress and update the commitment statements if necessary.

How long will my student need coaching?
Some students will pick up on the skills and strategies quickly and show remarkable progress.  Other students will resist them and complain about them until they start to see improvements.  Being accountable to the academic coach and not just the parent(s), helps prevent these students from simply choosing not to use the strategies, making excuses as why to they don’t work or are too hard, or refusing to even try them.  There is no easy answer as to how long your student will need coaching.

Who are we?

Lauren Field and Felicia Neumann are professional school counselors with over 25 years of combined experience working in public schools.  Lauren completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan and obtained her master’s degree in counseling at Oakland University.  Felicia obtained her bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Michigan and her master’s in guidance and counseling at Eastern Michigan University.  

If you are interested in learning more about Square 1 or would like to set up your intake session, please email info@sqre1.com. 

Omega-3's can help calm ADD/ADHD symptoms

A growing body of scientific research has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to healthy brain formation, function and performance.  When comparing children with attentional disorders to children without, children with ADD/ADHD had much lower levels of DHA in their blood.  DHA is an essential omega-3 fatty acid.  This is great news for parents who prefer not to medicate their ADD/ADHD children with amphetamine-like drugs such as Ritalin.  The Standard American Diet is quite lacking in Omega-3's, but optimal amounts can be reached by using a high quality fish oil supplement and adding milled or ground flaxseed into foods like yogurt or cereal, according to Dr. Mark Stein of University of Chicago. The omega-3 supplement we prefer is Nordic Naturals, a high quality medical grade supplement that won't leave a fishy taste in your mouth and throat.  Have you used dietary supplements to manage your child's symptoms.  Leave a comment and let us know what worked and what didn't!

Can diet improve functioning for ADD and Autistic children?

As school counselors we often hear parents rave about the positive changes they see in their children with ADD/ADHD or Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) just from changing their diet.  Gluten-free has been a very popular diet for many of these kids and has seemed to make a real difference.  We just recently heard of the Body Ecology Diet and it sounds like it has been quite successful in helping with these disabilities, as well as many other issues such ranging from acne to adrenal fatigue, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia.  Here are links to the website and the page on Autism and ADD/ADHD treatment.  We're going to try it and see if it helps our health issues.  Let us know if you try it for your child with ADD or ASD and how it works.  We'll keep you updated on our progress too!