This is the second part of my book review for Delivered From Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life With Attention Deficit Disorder, by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey. To read the first part of my review, click here.

Another treatment they recommend in addition to ADD medication and exercise is Essential Fatty Acid supplementation. Most people who eat a typical American diet do not consume enough EFAs naturally and the authors explain that Omega-3 fatty acids increase the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that medications for ADD also act to increase. It's not proven by any scientific study that EFAs can help ADD, but the authors of this book think there's a logical connection.

We have started giving Little J EFA supplements and while we haven't seen a change in behavior yet (apparently they take 3-4 months to kick in) we did discover that the kid has an amazing talent: pill swallowing! The first time we gave the little capsules to him we mimicked what he needed to do and he gulped them down with no water. It was pretty cool! Because we made such a big fuss about how good he was at taking the pills he reminds us that he needs to take them. We call them his "smart pills."

Finally, the book recommends specific physical therapies that may be helpful for people who have ADD. They call is Cerebellar Stumulation and Dr. Hallowell's son, who has ADD, is someone who has benefited from these kinds of exercises tremendously. The Dore method is one type of Cerebellar Stimulation. Brain Gym, which is considered "educational kinesiology" is another. Basically, these programs integrate movement, balance, and sensory activities to enhance learning and to address specific disorders.

I had never heard of the Dore Method before but I had certainly heard of Brain Gym. I have looked into taking a Brain Gym class but right now it's not fitting into my schedule...or my budget. Hopefully I can do this soon.

Both of these methods lack scientific evidence of effectiveness but there is a lot of anecdotal information about there singing their praises. If you are affected by ADD (as person who has it or as a parent of a child). I think they are worth checking out.