why wy?

In recent news, there has been an increase in the number of children diagnosed with learning disorders in Singapore.

In case that link expires, here's what it says (edited):

Last year, more than 840 new patients with the learning and behavioural disorder showed up at the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) Child Guidance Clinic, almost four times the number seen in 2000.

ADHD, characterised by hyperactivity, impulsiveness and inattention, is now the most common condition seen. The rise has been attributed to a greater awareness of the condition and to parents' increased concern and their willingness to seek help.

IMH has come up with a website for parents and has games for children with AHDH.

Personally, I find it quite hard to navigate the site as it's been set up like a gaming website. As osteopaths, we often do see children with ADHD and anecdotal evidence suggests that the kids are calmer after treatment.

There seem to be four main causes of ADHD - cerebro-organic causes; neurochemical disorders; genetic factors; food allergies. Some children who are later diagnosed with ADHD also have a history of visual and hearing problems, for instance recurrent ear infections, which can then lead to difficulty understanding and processing instructions, explaining why they can't concentrate in class.

When treating a child with ADHD, osteopaths will try to improve venous drainage from the cranium and remove any intraossseous lesions of the cranial bones, especially the occiput and temporals. Lesions of the occipital bone can affect the functioning of the brain stem, the rates of CSF fluctuation, the cerebellum and thus motor control, the visual cortex as well as the hypoglossal nerve, which is important in speech development.

AHDH can be treated conventionally with medication like methylphenidate, but there are well documented side-effects like loss of appetite and disturbed sleep. While it is every parent's right to decide what is best for their child, they should also weigh up the pros and cons of medication and consider alternatives when available.

Osteopathic treatment can be given in parallel with medication or as a conservative, first approach to managing ADHD. It is unusual to get results immediately after a single session, as it can take a while for cranial lesions to resolve and for the body's self-healing mechanism to kick in. Most parents report positive changes over three to four sessions. It has been found that osteopathic treatment over one to two years, with treatments every three to five weeks, is particularly effective and has lasting benefit.

Of course, other things that can be helpful include counselling for both the parents and the child, support at school and eliminating refined sugars and processed food from the diet (again, this is from anecdotal evidence).