20 April 2009RECOGNIZING HYPERKINETIC SYNDROME: THE PROBLEM MAY STILL BE EMOTIONAL RATHER THAN DIETARY
Even if the child is showing hyperkinetic syndrome, the problem may still be emotional rather than dietary, but certain clues point to food or additives as the triggers. Physical symptoms, such as muscle aches, stomach aches, rashes, headaches or bowel problems, usually accompany the mental symptoms in those who are sensitive to something in their diet or environment. (Such symptoms can also be produced psychosomatically however; see pl44.) A pale, flushed or blotchy face is another indicator, and an intense thirst is seen in many of these children. In general, it seems that those with atopic symptoms – hay-fever, perennial rhinitis, asthma or urticaria – are far more likely to respond to dietary treatment.
Differences in behaviour between home and school are not uncommon in hyperkinetic children, but they do not really help in deciding whether the problem has dietary origins. The perceptions of parent and teacher are not always the same, for one thing. Parents may be more critical of their child’s behaviour than a teacher, or less critical. Or it may be that one environment is over-stimulating for the child – a classroom full of other children, with colourful posters covering all the walls may be so distracting for a mildly hyperkinetic child that he or she behaves far worse than usual. Such children need special teaching in a quieter and less stimulating environment. Children who behave well at school but badly at home may be responding to family tensions, or they may find it easier to accept discipline in the more formal atmosphere of a school.
For some children, however, differences in food and chemical exposure between school and home may explain different behaviour patterns. It is worth investigating what the child eats for school lunch, or how many sweets are consumed at break-time, if school behaviour tends to be worse. For children who show chemical sensitivity, cleaning materials, disinfectants, floor wax, fumes from the heating system, marker pens and other items used in school may be to blame. Conversely, items used around the home, such as perfumes, aerosols and air-fresheners, may make the child more unmanageable than at school. But it makes sense to consider other explanations first, because family problems are far more likely to be the source of trouble than household chemicals.
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