The desire to effectively and safely treat children who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is creating quite a dilemma for parents. There are numerous prescription drugs available that parents are often encouraged to give their children in order to keep them calm and focused. The problem is that most of these particular treatments can cause serious health problems for children due to the risks for side effects. There are natural treatments for ADHD that are both safe and effective.

Behavior modification is one way of helping children with this disorder without the use of prescription drugs. Parents must first realize that children with this condition all have some positive characteristics in common. Attention deficit hyper activity disorder is not all bad. Children with this disorder tend to be extremely creative, highly intuitive, and love to explore.

For this reason, the goal of treatment should not be to completely change the child. This could rob the child of some of his best qualities. Instead, the focus should be on how to teach appropriate behaviors and communication skills. Remember that these children are special. Still, they must be taught how to consider the needs, thoughts and feelings of others. This knowledge doesn't come as naturally for them as it does for their peers. They also need to learn appropriate ways of handling anger and disappointment and learn how to recognize how their behavior affects others.

This method may take longer to produce results than prescription medication but at least this way, you are getting to the root of the problem behavior and the effects will be lasting because the child is learning to cope. This way, the problems are dealt with and not covered up under a haze of drugs. Also, this sends a subtle message to the child about the importance of addressing problems and challenges instead of finding relief and solutions through the use of medication.

Making changes in a child's diet can also help. Children who are overly active and have a hard time concentration often have vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. Also, certain foods can help a child keep her energy level under control.