Lisa Ann de Garcia, MEd., FDN-P

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Lawrence Butler
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1 Lisa Ann de Garcia, MEd., FDN-P

A Spectrum of Disorders The list of behavior and learning disorders range from ADD, ADHD, Autism, OCD, Tourettes, Sensory Processing Disorder, to a variety of speci c learning disabilities.

2 A Spectrum of Disorders The list of behavior and learning disorders range from ADD, ADHD, Autism, OCD, Tourettes, Sensory Processing Disorder, to a variety of speci c learning disabilities. Interestingly, learning and health professionals tend to approach each as if it were distinctly di erent from one another. However they are all just di erent neurological manifestations of similiar triggers. Some disabilities, such as deafness, blindness, and Down's syndrome, have genetic etiologies, however, we know this not to be the case with our ever growing mental disorders mentioned in the previous paragraph. Rather than genetic, it is epigenetic in nature. That means that it is absolutely, without a doubt, completely related to our lifestyle. Our children may have genetic predispositions to react in certain ways to speci c stressors and toxins, but it is the presence of such stress & toxins that sets the cascade in motion.

In 2011, there was an estimated 6.4 million children in the U.S. diagnosed with ADHD, of which 69% are medicated. The NIMH in 2010 stated that it was the most prevalent mental disorder among youth.

3 In 2011, there was an estimated 6.4 million children in the U.S. diagnosed with ADHD, of which 69% are medicated. The NIMH in 2010 stated that it was the most prevalent mental disorder among youth. Almost 70% of children with ADHD has at least 1 other diagnosis, such as speech, a learning disability, or anxiety. ADHD is correlated to a 32% high school dropout rate and a 300% increase of risk for substance abuse and dementia. 1 in 68 children are estimated to have Autism spectrum disorders, but more recent studies suggests closer to one in 45. It is said that the rate has been doubling every 5 years. In South Korea, it is at 1 in 38. It may be counter intuitive to think this, but the highest prevalence of these disorders, especially ADHD and autism, are in the most modern societies.

4 Is ADHD a Disease, or a symptom with various causes? The following are a few of the symptoms associated with ADHD Quiet Symptoms Making frequent mistakes Failing to pay attention Not listening when spoken to Forgetfulness Easily Distracted Poor pencil grip Poor posture Active Symptoms Fidgeting Squirming Talking incessantly Blurting out answers When we look at these symptoms and consider other symptoms related to a behavior disorder, we can see that they are all typical at some developmental stage. For example, it is typical of a young child to have a short attention span or to run out in the street without looking, but not for one who is older. The symptoms that are exhibited in a child tell us about where he or she may be stuck.

When children are stuck, there is underdevelopment and a lack of connectivity in their brain, forcing them to work out of the lower survival areas, or out of one hemisphere without cooperation from

5 When children are stuck, there is underdevelopment and a lack of connectivity in their brain, forcing them to work out of the lower survival areas, or out of one hemisphere without cooperation from the other, the root of behavior and learning disorders. What is causing our children to get stuck? Stress. There are two kinds of stressors: external and internal. We are most familiar with external emotional stressors. When we experience emotional stress, information from our senses comes in through the brainstem and gets passed onto the limbic system where cortisol and other chemicals are released into the body causing us to go into ght or ight. If the limbic system is underdeveloped, then there is no lter to what is coming in and everything sets o this chemical chain. Children like this are in a constant state of ight or ight, which wrecks havoc on their adrenals. There are other external stressors as well. These are mostly the products of our modern society of convenience. The main culprits being wireless and cellular technology, environmental pollutants, genetically modi ed food, processed and fake food, and an absurdly Increased vaccine schedule for infants.

6 Examples of internal stressors are things causing chronic in ammation such as food sensitivities, bacteria overgrowth, and viruses. There are also structural misalignments, poor methylation pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, and a reduced ability to detoxify. Any one of these stressors can contribute to what we call Metabolic Chaos, where it disrupts the natural homeostasis of the body. Imagine a game of pool where each of the balls represent a di erent system of the body. In the beginning all of the balls are racked up and neatly organized, then one stressor comes and scatters all of the balls and now all the systems are in chaos. As systems are disturbed, symptoms arise that may appear completely unrelated to the original trigger. This is why it is so hard for doctors to gure out what is really going on in the child, because they concentrate on the symptoms, but symptoms are so downstream from the original triggers.

7 We know that ADHD, for example, is not a Ritalin de ciency. Yet, the rst line of defense from a medical approach is to medicate. The job of Ritalin, for example, is to push out the dopamine at the synapse. However, after about 3 years, Ritalin and other stimulants deplete the synapse of the dopamine, thus requiring an increase in dosages over time. The research states that Ritalin and other ADHD medication is not e ective for longterm use. What researchers have been nding, however, is that in ADHD and nearly all the neurological disorders, there is an abnormality of the pathways and connections between the frontal cortex, basal ganglia, brain stem and cerebellum. These structures are involved in the processes of regulating attention, impulsive behavior, motor activity, and inhibition. The issue is not a reduction of the neurotransmitters as much as it is a di erence in speci c brain circuits. Therefore, it is much more e ective to approach these disorders by supporting the growth of those pathways.

8 In the Beginning... The exposure to internal stressors begins in the womb. We unknowingly pass to our children the collection of toxins that we have accumulated from our mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, etc. In today's culture, the amount of toxins that we are accumulating, ready to pass to our o spring is growing exponentially. The emotional stress from the mother is passed to the fetus and negatively effects the unborn baby. The fetus has a mechanism to protect itself from toxins and other stress in its environment. It is called the fear paralysis re ex. If the fetus comes in contact to a toxin in the womb, the cell walls harden in attempt to block it from entering the cell. As a result, it also prevents the transfer of nutrients between cells. As the baby grows older, it reacts to stress as we do by setting o cortisol and other hormones to circulate throughout the body. This stress re ex can also be activated by certain foods. When this mechanism is constantly activated with a continual cortisol spike, immune dysregulation, gut dysregulation, and inflammation start to set in. When the baby is born and he comes in contact with all of our wonderful products intended to make our life more comfortable, such as cell phone radiation and cleaning products, the already compromised immune system, having poor detoxification ability, can get pushed over the edge

9 and in ammation runs amuck in the body. This in ammation is especially harmful to the developing brain. When the gut is in amed and compromised, it is unable to digest food and appropriately utilize its nutrients. When the brain is in amed, it is unable to link up appropriately, resulting in emotional and motor delays. Many doctors have long since connected hyperactive and violent behavior to toxicity and nutritional de ciency. The toxic presence of the clostridia bacteria is particularly associated with aggressive and violent behavior. Children who are having reactions to food and/or environmental allergens run the risk of being falsely and incorrectly labeled with a learning behavior disorder. Mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD are usually only given one option, which is to medicate. I know from personal experience that when a child receives a diagnosis of autism, the parent is told that there is nothing that can be done. But this is absolutely not the case. When considering our options for addressing behavior and learning disorders, we essentially have two options: to medicate, or a drug-free approach to address the underlying causes of the issue and remove any hidden stressors that are getting in the way.

Sidney Walker, Director of the Southern California Neuropsychiatric Institute states that

10 The National Institute of Mental Health does not have an o cial position on whether ADHD is a neurobiological disorder. ~ Peter Jensen, Psychiatrist, National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Sidney Walker, Director of the Southern California Neuropsychiatric Institute states that Hyperactivity is not a disease. It s a hoax perpetrated by people who have no idea what s really wrong with these children."

What are the alternatives? It is possible to identify and remove the underlying malfunctions and blocking factors and help return the body to normal function.

11 What are the alternatives? It is possible to identify and remove the underlying malfunctions and blocking factors and help return the body to normal function. When normal function is restored, health is abundant, behavior is normal symptoms can disappear on their own. With a dual approach of how stress a ects the body through Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and understanding how children's brains develop through functional neurology, it is possible to help restore normal function and support the body's innate ability to heal itself instead of just treating the symptoms. What is Functional Diagnostic Nutrition? Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, or FDN, comprises of drugless protocols & lifestyle changes to support for the body s innate healing ability. We are not diagnosing or treating any disease nor practicing medicine. Rather it is "a type of detective work that seeks to identify and correct the underlying causes and conditions that lead to the patient's health complaints," (Reed Davis, Founder). So, rather than just treating and chasing symptoms, we use functional lab testing to identify healing opportunities in the hormone, immune, digestion, detoxification, and intestinal barrier systems.

12 How does understanding brain development help? By understanding how the brain develops and the functions of its structures, it is possible to trace de cits to speci c areas, thereby knowing what type of support to give. For example, poor balance and speech may indicate a problem with the cerebellum. So while attempting to reduce and eliminated speci c stressors, through our FDN model, that may have prevented the proper development of the cerebellum in the rst place, we can employ sensory-motor based strategies to help strengthen the weaker areas in the brain. The brain grows from the back to front, where the brainstem develops rst and the frontal lobes are the last to mature. Children with ADHD, for example are classically identi ed as individuals who are impulsive and have poor judgment. This is an immaturity of the pre-frontal cortex and its disconnect with the brain stem and limbic system. Many therapies solely address cognitive strength, which would be considered a top-down approach. These approaches may not necessarily result in permanent changes if the bottom structures are weak. This is like putting a tile roof on a house with cardboard walls, which is the approach of the interventions found in our school system. This is why it is important to remove the hidden stressors and then strengthen the brain from the bottom-up, which is done through movement, sensory stimulation, and integrating any active primitive re exes the child may have. This will often reduce the need from such top-down therapies, or at least increase their e ectiveness and shorten their duration since when the brain heals from the bottom it can begin to regulate itself.

13 Stop Chasing Symptoms! We see now that symptoms of learning and behavior disorders are not mysterious or of unknown origin. Children, teens and adults are being successfully supported through natural, non-drug means. The key is to identify and remove as many of the hidden stressors as possible, ranging from toxic chemicals and radiation in the environment, to reactive foods and gut bugs within the body. Removing the stressors help by reducing chronic in ammation in the body and brain, and in turn stimulate the restoration of the gut, immune, and cognitive functions. The less the body has to deal with, the easier it is able to heal itself. At the same time, we need to be focusing on helping the brain to develop by targeting the areas in which it is stuck developmentally, working from a bottom-up approach. An underdeveloped brainstem yields immune and gut dysfunction. These lower areas of the brain can be strengthened through movement, re ex integration, and sensory integration, so they will also help to regulate and strengthen the immune and gut systems.

14 At Whole Child Learning Solutions, we approach learning and behavior issues through a multi-pronged approach. We start by addressing possible internal and external stressors to the body through lab tests and lifestyle changes. At the same time we identify how we can further support brain development through sensory, motor, and re ex integration. When these internal and bottom-up processes are well under way, we may decide to add some top-down activities to support speci c cognitive functions. However, after steps 1 and 2 have been implemented, the brain has a chance to heal itself and further cognitive work may no longer be necessary. If the child is already receiving top-down interventions, such as speech therapy, reading support, or cognitive support, their e ects should be enhanced.

15 Contact Us! If you have a struggling child and you want find and remove hidden stressors that may be interfering with his or her learning, then please, contact us for a free 20 minute consultation to see if Whole Child Learning Solutions is the right fit for you. Learn more

D.S Du Toit Christian Psychologist

D.S Du Toit Christian Psychologist Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying