Probably the most popular method to treat ADHD in children is through the various ADHD medications. For many children the medications can work successfully in diminishing the symptoms of ADHD. Yet there are instances where the medications don’t work as well as parents had hoped or they have so many side effects that the medication is stopped. It is also true that medications are but one tool in our arsenal to treat the symptoms of ADHD. What can be of great benefit is to use a multi-treatment approach combining non-prescription methods with medication if necessary.

As a former special educator and as a parent of a special needs child, it is my opinion that the treatment options with the least amount of potential risk should be utilized first. I believe in only providing as much intervention as is necessary. This means to use a multi-tiered approach. It has been my experience to try the non-medication methods first and then add medication only if it is deemed essential for the child’s well being and functioning.

Here are five non-prescription ways to treat ADHD symptoms in children:

1. Use sensory integration techniques to help your ADHD child diminish hyperactivity and improve their ability to pay attention.

I am a big advocate of using the sensory integration techniques described in such books as The Out-of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz.  It is believed by many special educators and developmental therapists that children who have disorders such as ADHD or autism may also have what is called Sensory Integration Dysfunction (sometimes also called Sensory Processing Disorder). What this means in a nutshell is that the child is unable to process input from their senses in the same way that most people do. The child may be under or over-sensitive to various environmental stimuli. For example, the child with a sensory processing disorder may be super-sensitive to clothing tags, tantrum when they hear loud noises, or literally be bouncing off the walls because the child is unable to regulate sensory input.

With the help of an occupational therapist or other specialist trained in sensory integration techniques, a child with these issues can learn to self-calm, become better engaged and more attentive attentive and decrease their hyperactive behaviors.

For more information and details about sensory integration please read my post, “A Sensory Integration Approach to Helping Hyperactive Kids”

2. Get your child out into “green play settings.”

There are several studies which show that children with ADHD have improved functioning and fewer ADHD symptoms when they are exposed to natural settings such as fields, woods, and parks. One study was conducted by Frances Kuo, Professor of natural resources and environmental sciences and Director of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois. Kuo found that children who were exposed to a more natural green environment were able to concentrate better, were less hyperactive and less distractible. I can personally attest to this for my son who is always so much better behaved and calm when he is immersed in nature.