A few months ago I wrote a column about the treatment and diagnosis of children with ADHD. The response to the column was tremendous - parents writing about their struggle finding support for their children, adults who were labeled with the diagnosis as a child and professionals who wish to help.

The stories are heartbreaking. Many share the pain of being misdiagnosed with ADHD then continually punished, medicated and labeled as a "bad" kid while others struggle with the disorder and never receive treatment.

There is no typical treatment for a child with ADHD and the cause is mainly unknown. Professionals and parents have discovered many strategies that seem to relieve the symptoms of ADHD understanding that every child is different, the disorder presents itself differently in most kids and the cause of the disorder can be biological or environmental.

I offer some of the suggestions, ideas and resources from the readers of this column. This is not a complete list of options but an opportunity for parents and children to view different treatment modalities as options to improve one's life.

Dr. Don Johnson at the Northwest Treatment Center for Snoring and Sleep Apnea offers his research in the field of sleep.

Here is a link showing a big correlation between ADHD and obstructive sleep apnea. Bedwetting, inattention, rebellion, snoring, tooth grinding, mouth breathing (which causes more cavities), etc. are all associated with sleep apnea in kids. As professionals, we need to find the cause of problems and then treat that cause rather than just try to relieve the symptoms.

It's just like giving a patient high blood pressure medication if his blood pressure is high rather than finding out what is causing the blood pressure to be high - and in many cases it is sleep apnea. A sleep study is so simple to reveal these disorders; I don't know why that isn't the place that medical professionals start for so many of these things. It's kind of like pushing on your car and listening to find out how much gas is in your tank rather than just starting the car and looking at the gauge! Following is the link: http://1.usa.gov/1OiLDOo.

Michelle Windle at www.michellewindle.com is a reader and distributor of Plexus Worldwide.

I have been trying to get the word out about some natural alternatives to medication for ADHD. My son took harsh prescription medication for three school years. The whole time I hated it but felt there was no alternative. There is an alternative! Gut health and nutrition play a huge role and traditional medicine doesn't address that. Such a shame! These two products have transformed my son and allowed him to be med free this school year!

Here is my research on why I think they work: One of the ingredients in Slim is Garcinia Cambogia which increases serotonin levels.

http://bit.ly/1HFpF6J

Serotonin levels are linked to ADHD:

http://bit.ly/1OiL0Vg

The ProBio5 treats leaky gut which is also related to ADHD.

http://unritalinsolution.com/adhd_leaky_gut

William Torrington offers the following videos on "Overcoming ADHD with Transcendental Meditation," and "Changing Lives through Transcendental Meditation."

http://bit.ly/1MliRzi

http://bit.ly/1Jdb1pv

Joni Hudson is the community outreach professional for Dr. Amy Spoelstra, who treats children with ADHD/ADD drug-free through chiropractic care. Dr. Amy lectures often at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library and Pilgrim's Market. Dr. Amy offers the following drug-free options.

In the time that I was making my way through middle school and high school, I heard very little about ADD or ADHD. Now that I am older and in touch with many teachers, it seems that this diagnosis has become commonplace among our nation's children and teens.

Along with the medication that often accompanies such a diagnosis also comes the propensity for abuse. On Aug. 24, 2009, the journal Pediatrics reported that abuse of stimulants prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - particularly amphetamines - is on the rise among teens. Lead researcher Jennifer Setlik, M.D., of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio said calls to poison centers about teen victims of prescription ADHD drugs jumped 76 percent between 1998 and 2005.

What may come as a surprise to many parents faced with the dilemma of medicating for ADD/ADHD is the option not to medicate at all. Why face another worry when help for your child may be found at your local chiropractor's office?

"The June 23, 2008, issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research reports on a case study involving a 7 1/2-year-old girl diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. After a three-month course of chiropractic care, she improved to the point of being able to avoid taking the dangerous stimulant medications commonly used to treat ADD/ADHD."

The girl was brought to the chiropractor after teachers recommended psychological testing for what they called "subtle ADHD findings." The girl's mother did not want to put her on drugs, ignored the recommendations and instead, sought chiropractic care.

Initially, it was noted that the girl was active in gymnastics, falling several times a week. Her mother listed "short attention span, lack of perseverance, failure to finish projects, action before thought, and poor organization" on her Behavioral Assessment.

The child was placed under a care program that continued for 90 days. Each week, the mother rated the child's attention span, irritability, aggression, withdrawn moods, nervousness, depression, memory retention, energy level, listening ability, project completion and organization skills, as well as sleeping and appetite patterns.

At the end of the first three weeks of care, the mother noted improvement in listening ability, project completion and organization skills. She also noted a decrease in irritability, aggressive behaviors and nervousness."

Nicole Lascurain at Healthline, The Power of Intelligent Health offers the most recent data and fact surrounding ADHD/ADD and the prevalence of the disorder in the United States.

Healthline just published this infographic outlining ADHD statistics and numbers in a visual guide. You can see the graphic here: http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/facts-statistics-infographic.

Our users found this info very useful as it showcases the high cost of ADHD and which states ADHD is most prevalent in and I thought it would be a great resource for your page.

Send comments or other suggestions to William Rutherford at bprutherford@hotmail.com or visit pensiveparenting.com.