The information in this series has either been gleaned from research on Attention Deficit Disorder - which I'll refer to as ADD or ADD, or it is from my own experience in a clinical setting. Hello, I'm Dr. Doug Cowan. I spent the fifteen years in a private practice as a Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist, and as a Clinical researcher, devoted to the treatment of children, teenagers, and adults with attention disorders. During that time it was my privilege to meet and work with over a thousand individuals, and their families, who were impacted by this disorder.

Then in the year 2001, I closed my clinical practice to focus more of my attention on the ADHD Information Library's family of web sites. Our six web sites, which include NewIdeas.net, ADD101.com, and ADDinSchool.com, now provide information to over 350,000 parents and teachers each year on ADHD, including treatment options, parent resources, classroom interventions, a free newsletter, and much more.

Throughout this series I'm going to share with you some of the things that I have learned over the years, and I'm going to also share with you some of the very exciting advances that have been made in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorders.

It is my opinion that the treatment interventions that we will learn about in this series are all effective to one degree or another with problems with Attention, Impulse Control, Over-Activity, or Learning Problems. These interventions include adjustments in daily eating habits, counseling sessions, and an over-the- counter Nutraceutical Medicine called "Attend." When combined together, they are very effective.

Every child is different. For unknown reasons, some children respond very well to diet, and some do not. Some respond very well to stimulant medications, and some do not. Some respond very well to Attend, and some do not. There are a lot of possible explanations for this. There may be different root causes that can cause the same set of symptoms that we ultimately diagnose as ADD, which may explain why different people may respond so well, or so poorly, to any given treatment. You can learn more about the different types of ADHD, and find specific treatment interventions for each type, at http://www.newideas.net/types.htm.

Every child is different. As a result, we recommend that you look carefully at all of the possible interventions, and then also take a hard look at 1) your child, 2) your finances, 3) your insurance coverage, 4) your present eating habits, and 5) the amount of "spare time" that you have in your life to do what it will take to make some of these interventions work.

By way of disclaimer, let me say that I am not a medical doctor. My doctorate is in psychology. All of the above information is from my clinical observations of treatment interventions used successfully by my patients over the past fifteen years. Don't be afraid to talk with your physician, psychologist, or counselor about these observations. Consider this information for the sake of education and discussion.

First, we become more aware of problems like this as parents than we were as a children. We have grown up now and we are more concerned about these issues since we have our own children.

Second, the news and entertainment media have talked about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder a lot more than in the past, raising our awareness levels.

Third, a recent study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse reported that 5.5% of women REPORTED using illicit drugs while they were pregnant; 18.8% REPORTED using alcohol, and 20.4% REPORTED using tobacco while pregnant. Children who were Drug Exposed in utero, or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children, have many of the same problems as children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and are often misdiagnosed by physicians as being ADHD.

In our rural area of California it is estimated that 10% of all children born in our county were exposed to drugs or alcohol by their mothers during pregnancy.

There are no known "safe levels" of drug, alcohol, or tobacco use while pregnant. The use of drugs or alcohol are especially dangerous to the developing baby and can often cause neurological problems. When these children enter school, they often display problems with attention, impulse control, temper, learning, and behavior. They are often misdiagnosed as having a genetically based Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

However, rather than having a genetically based Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) what they really suffer from are structural head injuries thanks to their mother's past behaviors. ADHD is not a "fad" disorder, nor is it a conspiracy by pharmaceutical companies to get more kids on drugs. It is a very real neurological condition that is common enough as to require parents, teachers, and physicians to become better educated about its causes, the available treatment options, and the potential problems with doing nothing. Learn more about ADHD at the ADHD Information Library at http://www.newideas.net.

With a Doctorate in Psychology, and a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, doctor Cowan has worked with over 1,000 children and their families with ADHD or related conditions as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, researcher, and author.

Dr. Cowan now serves as the Pastor of Family, Student, and Counseling Ministries at a church in California. He is also President of the Board of KAXL radio, and serves on the Medical Advisory Board for VAXA International of Tampa, FL.

ATTEND has over 70 specific ingredients. Clinically tested - by our own Dr. Cowan - in 1996-97, and manufactured by VAXA International. It works or your money back!