Katharine Leslie seminar - ADHD

Katharine quoted a study (I didn't write down the details!) about children with ADHD. She said that the study took a group of children with ADHD, half of whom were on Ritalin and the other half did 20 or 30 minutes (I don't remember which) of exercise every morning that "bounced" their brains in an up and down manner (like jogging or trampolines). {this is my horribly inaccurate recitation BTW, do not blame Katharine for it please!). Both sets of children were sent to school and the teachers could not tell the difference! The exercise lasts a little less time than the medicine, but how great for Bear, for whom ADHD meds cause too many side effects for him to use?! The problem would be getting him up 30 minutes earlier for school. It would have to be on the treadmill too since he can't be trusted outside.

I've always wondered why giving a kid with ADHD the equivalent of speed seems to calm them down when it makes everyone else so hyper. Katharine explains it in terms I think I understand.

ADHD increases a person's impulsivity and causes them to hyperfocus on everything. Our frontal lobe normally is supposed to be saying, "Stop that!" It controls our actions. When we take speed it speeds up the frontal lobe so it catches up to the ADHD brain and can think before it acts! So the meds aren't slowing ADHD kids down, it's speeding up the rest of the brain.