"If you can catch him, you can test him!" | LearningRx Blog

Overactive, hyperactive, impulsive, rambunctious, wild – any of those describe your child? Whether he’s been diagnosed with ADHD or not, chances are you’ve probably already tried many, many ways to calm him enough so he can focus and learn.

Have you tried this one? It’s from LearningRx Vice President of Research and Development Tanya Mitchell on BlogTalkRadio. "One thing I would not allow is for his teacher to keep him in for recess," said Mitchell regarding her own 10-year-old son. "I told her, ‘That is directly negatively affecting you. If he has time to go out and physically move and do things, you’re going to be able to teach him better.’"

In addition to giving other tips, Mitchell explained that what appears to be an attention issue can sometimes be a visual or auditory processing weakness that results in impulsive behavior. Fortunately, all these skills can be strengthened and improved. First you need a cognitive skills assessment to determine which skill weaknesses are the root of the problem.

Family Talk Radio host Dr. Daisy Sutherland (aka Dr. Mommy) joked that you would have to run after her fifth child and catch him before you could test him. "He’s very, very bright, but extremely active and so if he were in a traditional school setting I truly believe that he would be labeled as ADHD because he can’t sit still," said Dr. Sutherland. "Sitting him down and having him just focus with a paper and pencil – there’s no way!"

Does that sound like your child? What does it look like when those skills are trained?

Mitchell explains how it can look vastly different after three months of LearningRx brain training. "I had kids that came in at a 12-second attention span – and I know that because I timed them – and by the end of training they could sit and focus with me literally for 20 minutes with no issues, which for those kids meant no medication, no retention in their grade. They were actually able to move on, and they were put in higher reading levels."

For more tips from Mitchell and Dr. Sutherland on helping your overactive child focus, listen to the half-hour show on Family Talk Radio. And if you’re ready to take on the issue without resolving to medication, get your child’s cognitive skills tested. The information the 90-minute test reveals about your child will be well worth your effort to catch him!