Alternative Approach for Behavioral Disorder

Parents are often hesitant to put their child on medication for behavioral problems. Reasons range from side effects to doubting the diagnosis. However, there are some alternatives to look into.

At age 5, Clayton Lewis couldn't sit still at preschool. His mother, Sue, agreed to try the generic form of Ritalin. But things got worse. "He would go from being laughing and happy one minute to being a screaming, physical, fighting child," she says.

While Ritalin is effective for a large percentage of children, there's a group like Clayton who react negatively.

"They have some other medical condition or educational learning problem going on that needs to be evaluated, " explains osteopath, Mary Ann Block, D.O.

Dr. Block says the outward signs are the same as what is called ADD, but it's the cause that's being overlooked. She says an estimated 80 to 90 percent of children she sees have nutritional deficiencies or allergies that cause behavioral problems.

"Get them on the right kind of diet. Supplement them with vitamins and minerals so their bodies can work properly," says Dr. Block

Clayton took medication for five years. Then Sue found Dr. Block. "They tested 13 foods, and he was allergic to 12 of the 13 and highly allergic to 9 of them," says Sue.

He now avoids certain foods, gets allergy shots, takes eight vitamins a day and no drugs.

Clayton says, "Life is a lot more fun now, a lot more fun."

Linda Lachapell, R.N., is a 20-year veteran of school nursing. She used to see two to three kids on medication a day. That's changed. "Last year I had 38 students," she says.

That's high, but not as high as other schools. Dennis Rosen, M.D. pioneered a unique idea -- he makes "rounds" at school.

"I think children are more open, more able to communicate in the school setting. This is their world," says Dr. Rosen, a developmental pediatrician at Medical West Associates in Amherst, Massachusetts. While on rounds, he meets with teachers, parents and guidance counselors to best determine a child's needs.

Parents like Mariah Levine appreciate the approach. "I think that it has given everybody the full picture of who Ryan is and what he's all about," she says.

Mariah's son, Ryan, takes medication, and Dr. Rosen keeps tabs on him to make sure it works at home and school.

Dr. Rosen urges other pediatricians to get out of the office and into schools. "If physicians can learn how to be flexible in the way they use their time they can assume these roles," he says. He feels like his alternative approach ultimately leads to more effective treatment.

Dr. Rosen spends about five hours a week making "school calls." He says one more benefit of this hands-on approach is that the children come to understand their disorder much better.

© Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. November 2000