Changing the ADHD Brain: Moving Beyond Medication – David Nowell

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Many persons diagnosed with ADHD prefer not to take medication. There are various reasons for this including side effects and concerns with long-term use. In this seminar, you will learn more about these reasons, as well as alternative interventions for ADHD.

Looking at ADHD from a developmental perspective, we will consider reasons for the apparent increase in ADHD diagnoses over the past two decades. By understanding the way the brain works in ADHD, you will be able to better identify a variety of strategies to significantly impact the nervous system and positively influence symptoms of ADHD in your clients.

Not only will you walk away from this recording with information about some of the most common non-medication interventions for ADHD such as computerized cognitive training, mindfulness meditation and neurofeedback, you will also learn a variety of practical strategies that can be implemented immediately and at low cost.

We will navigate the vast research on exercise, movement, diet, sleep, disruptive technologies, supplements and the impact of the environment on ADHD, summarizing the findings and applying the information to “real life”. You will finish this program with the tools and knowledge to develop a holistic approach to working with adults and children with ADHD.

1. Articulate the relationship between the frontal lobe of the brain and ADHD symptomology for the purpose of client psychoeducation.
2. Determine the impact of movement and exercise on the reduction of ADHD symptoms as it relates to assessment and treatment planning.
3. Implement treatment interventions for improving impulse control and working memory in clients.
4. Analyze the influence of diet and nutrition on ADHD symptoms in relation to assessment and treatment planning.
5. Develop clinical strategies to calm the nervous system of clients diagnosed with ADHD.
6. Consider the clinical implications of environmental influences on ADHD symptoms in clients.

Why Not Medication?

• Useful as a short-term tool
• Concerns with long-term use: Effects on the brain

ADHD and the “Immature” Brain

• Brain imaging evidence of ADHD
• Research regarding ADHD brain development
  • Frontal lobes mature more slowly in the ADHD brain
  • Excess theta brainwaves
• Implications for treatment

Movement-Based Strategies

• Wake up an underaroused ADHD brain
• Hyperactivity as an adaptive mechanism
• The impact of play and exercise on the brain
• Role of rhythm and timing training
• Integrated movement systems for ADHD

Frontal Lobe/Working Memory Strategic Tools

• Use it or lose it: Increase memory, attention and focus
• Games for impulse control and working memory
• Computerized cognitive training programs
• Meditation and mindfulness for ADHD
• Neurofeedback

Diet and Nutrition

• The impact of sugars, fats, proteins, and water
• Diet and dopamine
• Omega 3-6-9: What you need to know for brain health
• Multivitamins/mineral: Do they make a difference?
• Gluten, food additives, and pesticides

ADHD and Nervous System Overstimulation

• ”Overaroused” subtype of ADHD
• Stress, anxiety, and ADHD: the connection
• Breathwork and movement for nervous system calming
• Heart rate variability biofeedback
• Art therapy techniques to quiet and focus the brain

Environmental Influences

• Video games and Social Media
• Sleep deprivation
  • Same symptoms as ADHD
  • Strategies to help insomnia
• Environmental toxins: lead, phthalates, pollution
• The impact of time in nature on ADHD symptoms

Limitations of the Research and Potential Risks