Help with our Scholarship Fund and Early Registration Discounts

Dear Friends of Quest,    I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy!  I can't believe camp is less than 3 months away!  We are excited to announce that we have added a 7th week to our summer camp, which will be a 3 Night/4 Day Big Bear Residential Week!      Our registration system for summer is active and our early registration discount for $200 off goes through April 15, 2015.      Please Click Here to see our Summer Calendar! This issue of our newsletter is different than usual in that it provides information about our scholarship fund donation drive that we have having.  At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life.  We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.    Sincerely, Jodie Knott, Ph.D. Director and Licensed Psychologist Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

Quest's Scholarship Fund Request For Donations It is with excitement and an expectant heart that I am writing this request letter since we are launching our first major campaign to generate scholarships for camp this summer. Our goal as a therapeutic camp is to hopefully fund 6 children for 4 weeks of camp this summer, which is a lofty goal. Providing services to children with mild to moderate social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties regardless of their ability to pay has been part of our service mission at Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California since our creation in 2009. In accordance with this value we have scholarshipped children in every season of school year and summer Quest programming for the last 6 years. I am also very proud to be an accredited camp through the American Camp Association since the ACA has a strong service mission that ALL children go to camp. I feel this mission especially extends to children with special needs, as these families have so many extra costs to support the growth and development of their children including specialized camp experiences. At this time I am doing the big ask by looking for family, friends, colleagues, community partners, camp families, and others who wish to help to rally together to bring more children to camp this year. As a camp, our service mission is the same as always and we will continue to scholarship at the same level-This scholarship fund is to help us partner with you to go above and beyond what we are currently able to do. Why donate? What can your support do?: In this section I could speak about the research that says what four weeks of our program can do which includes decreasing a child's impulsivity and aggression as well as improving their relationships with family, peers, and their self-esteem. But, I will instead talk about what Quest has given me. While I do feel I give a lot of myself to these children who I feel I have been called to serve, the fact is that these children are absolutely fantastic and I always seem to get back way more than I give. In the last 6 years I can say these are the types of gifts I am given regularly: The look of pure joy as children score their first goal in soccer and later getting to hear that my campers gained confidence to start playing at school for the first time. Children ringing the bell at the top of the rock climbing wall after working on that goal for weeks. Seeing kids using coping skills like taking deep breaths and saying "unlucky, better luck next time" where in the past they would have had a meltdown. Campers having their first play dates, sleepovers, and campouts ever. Hearing that children have returned back to school in the fall and their teachers "don't recognize them" because they have so many new positive behaviors! Your generosity can help us bring in more children to camp who otherwise would not have had this opportunity. As contributors you can share in these gains that may just change the life of a child. How you can support us in our scholarship drive: You can give money to our tax deductible scholarship fund set up through the ACA by clicking the link and put Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California in the spot where it says "Please indicate the camp name for this camper scholarship donation." Download the Communities for a Cause App and select Quest Camps of Southern California as your cause. You can then shop all over town and by taking a picture of your receipt and money will be automatically donated to our fund. You can join us at our upcoming fundraiser dinners. We plan to have information available for these in the newsletter and website. Our First Event is: Monday, April 27th from 4:30-9:30  at Stonefire Grill 18727 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92646       4.  For those people registering for camp, you can donate                  as part of your registration.         5.  Please get the word out about our campaign if our cause              speaks to you. If you would like any additional information regarding our scholarship program please do not hesitate to call me at (714) 490-3428 or email me at jknott@questsolutionssocal.com.    Sincerely, ____________________________                Jodie Knott, Ph.D.                                          Licensed Clinical Psychologist CA License #PSY20647                                 Director of Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

Executive Function and ADHD

Dear Friends of Quest, I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy!  I can say that for us at Quest we are moving forward at full speed to prepare camp for this summer!  We are excited to announce that we have added a 7th week to our summer camp, which will be a 3 Night/4 Day Big Bear Residential Week!   Our registration system for summer is active and our early registration discount for $200 off goes through April 15, 2015.   Please Click Here to see our Summer Calendar! This issue of our newsletter includes information regarding executive function and ADHD.  At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life.  We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.    Sincerely, Jodie Knott, Ph.D. Director and Licensed Psychologist Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

Executive Functioning and ADHD Executive functioning has been a key term for several years regarding ADHD.  Executive functioning is sometimes thought of as the brain's self-management system or how a person is able to be goal directed and engage in problem solving and persistence.  Currently it is common for ADHD to be considered an appropriate diagnosis when a person has difficulty in this area, often termed executive dysfunction.  Two theories that are both popular regarding executive functioning are those put for by Russell Barkley and Tom Brown.   Barkley's Theory of Executive Function [1] Step 1:  Response Delay--need to be able to control impulses and slow down responses. Step 2:  Prolongation--need to ask myself from previous experience what's been the right thing to do (based on an internal feeling of past, present, and future) Step 3:  Rule Governed Behavior--need to have internal speech developed and is connected to morality and ethics Step 4: Dismemberment of the Environment--need be be able to tell a story in sequence from beginning, middle, and end and also rotate a figure in space in order to do this task. In this theory by Barkley, if a person has difficulty with Response Delay, he or she will also have difficulty with later steps such as Prolongation, and if the person has difficulty in these two areas the person will also struggle with Rule Governed Behavior.  There is some evidence to suggest that people with attention difficulties have difficulty with Rule Governed Behavior since there is often a delay in internalized speech and this is a step that has to be talked through.   Tom Brown's Theory of Executive Function [2] 1) Organizing and activating for work (getting started on a task) 2) Sustaining attention and concentration (focusing including sustaining and shifting attention) 3) Sustain energy and effort (regulate alertness, sustain effort, and processing speed) 4) Managing affective interference (manage frustrations and modulate emotions) 5) Utilizing working memory and accessing recall (working memory is often referred to as the brain system that provides temporary storage and manipulation of the information necessary for such complex tasks as language comprehension, learning, and reasoning.) 6) Being able to predict the reaction of others due to their behavior While these challenges and delays are real for children and adults with attention difficulties, there are interventions that can be done to assist with executive functioning.  Barkley suggests an 80/20% rule in which 80% of our interventions should be focused on changing the environment for the person with ADHD and 20% goes into teaching skills [3].  Examples of this 80% can be how we use the latest in ADHD theory and research to inform our interventions such as how we structure our programs (highly reinforcing reward programs with lots of feedback, immediate consequences, clearly posted expectations, extra prompts and accommodations, etc).  In our program at Quest when we are focused on the aspects related to teaching skills to children it is a constant goal to teach children in a way that they will be able to access what we are presenting most fully.  In addition, a multimodal study demonstrated at the 8 year followup that for children with ADHD that the best recommendations for treatment was uninterrupted treatment with medication and behavior support [4].  I find this study particularly interesting since it included therapeutic summer camp interventions as part of the behavioral support given.  Ultimately, executive functioning is a complex process and a breakdown in this area for children with ADHD is a challenge that will take many people working together, but with this teamwork and a child's growth and maturity over time great things are possible.   [1-3] Blake, K.T. (2014) Getting back on track: Understanding and treating executive dysfunction in ADHD. Cross Country Education Continuing Education Webinar. [4] Swanson et. al. (2011) as cited in Blake, K.T. (2014) Getting back on track: Understanding and treating executive dysfunction in ADHD. Cross Country Education Continuing Education Webinar.

Sleep and Children with ADHD

Dear Friends of Quest, I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy!  I can say that for us at Quest we are moving forward at full speed to prepare camp for this summer!  The next newsletter will have our full summer calendar attached, as we are currently putting the final touches on it.   This issue of our newsletter includes information regarding sleep challenges and ADHD.  At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life.  We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.    Sincerely, Jodie Knott, Ph.D. Director and Licensed Psychologist Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

Sleep and Children with ADHD  (by Brittany McKee, Quest Camp Counselor) Dr. Judith Owens is a behavioral-developmental pediatrician and author who is internationally recognized as an authority on children and sleep.  This newsletter is a summary of an interview she gave to Susan Buningh of CHADD to provide helpful information regarding sleep disregulation for children with attention difficulties.   Studies show that up to sixty percent of children and adolescents with ADHD have trouble sleeping.  This lack of sleep can impact a child's overall health and development as well as behavior and even performance at school.   What is the difference between insomnia and ADHD "night owlism"?  Children who are "night owls" have a lot of trouble falling asleep at an early bedtime like, for example, 9 pm.  They may fall asleep closer to 11pm if not later and if allowed to they may sleep in later the next morning.  Alternatively, children with sleep-onset insomnia have difficulty falling asleep no matter what time they go to bed. Is my child not sleeping well due to ADHD or sleep apnea? Due to the overlap of symptoms of sleep apnea and ADHD, such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, poor impulse control, mood changes and school problems, sometimes it can be difficult to tell which condition is affecting your child. However, children with sleep apnea usually have specific nighttime symptoms like snoring, breathing pauses, restless sleep and sweating at night and are more likely to be sleepy during the day in comparison to children with ADHD. How to help children with ADHD to "wind down" and fall asleep?  -Having a regular bed and wake time on both weekdays and weekends, minimizing light exposure in evenings and maximizing light in the morning are a few helpers.   -There is also a practice called "sleep conditioning" where parents associate sleep-promoting activities such as a set bedtime and avoid wake-promoting activities in bed such as watching television, texting, doing homework or talking on the phone.   -Parents should avoid using the bed for punishment like a time out.   -Sleep practices that promote relaxation, such as reading, and avoid stimulation, such as vigorous exercise before bed, help to foster a good night's sleep.   What types of over-the-counter products help with sleep? Herbal or "natural" preparations such as chamomile or valerian root are generally safe and for the most part are not known to interact with ADHD medications but also have little scientific data to back up their use in children and could be harmful if given in too large doses.  Melatonin, which can be purchased over the counter, is a synthetic form of the sleep-promoting circadian system hormone produced by your brain in response to darkness.  Studies show that children with ADHD may have a delay in melatonin production  at night that can cause a circadian rhythm disturbance called sleep phase delay.  Be sure to check with your doctor before using any of these methods. Is it true that stimulant medications can actually help with sleep?  This issue is somewhat controversial.  While parent-report studies report detrimental effects of stimulants in regards to sleep onset, more objective overnight sleep studies that include EEG measurements have not consistently supported these findings.  Children whose sleep onset problems seem to be a result of their stimulant medication wearing off in the late afternoon or early evening with a return or even worsening of ADHD symptoms can cause difficulties with settling down for sleep. Recommended Sleep for Children and Adolescents: Infants (2 months-12 months): 14 to 15 hours Toddlers (12 months-3 years): 12 to 14 hours Preeschoolers (3 years to 6 years): 11 to 13 hours School-Aged Children (6 years to 12 years): 10 to 11 hours Adolescents (12 years to 18 years): 8.5 to 9.5 hours [1] [1] Buningh, S. (2010, December 1). Sleep and Children with ADHD. Retrieved from http://www.chadd.org/Membership/Attention-Magazine/View-Articles/Sleep-and-Children-with-ADHD.aspx

Making Changes that Last in the New Year

Dear Friends of Quest, I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy!  Happy New Year from Quest!  I can't believe another year has come and gone.  The beginning of January is always when I kick in to full gear to plan everything for the upcoming year so I can say that as a staff we are excited about what is in store for Quest this upcoming year!  Our Winter School Year Groups  Start Wednesday January 7th! Sign Up Now! This issue of our newsletter includes tips of how to celebrate the best achievements of the last year and how to best prepare to reach new goals in the year ahead.  At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life.  We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.    Sincerely, Jodie Knott, Ph.D. Director and Licensed Psychologist Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

Making Changes in the New Year that Last The end of the year brings a good time to reflect on the past and to set goals for the future year to come.  Last month's newsletter was a piece on how to let things go and move forward, which often can be a good message people can carry into the new year.  In addition, I think the start of a new year can hold a new hope that this can be the year for amazing growth and change to occur.  Being a person whose career is focused on being invited in to see the transformation and growth that can occur in people's lives I can truly say that amazing things are possible when people are motivated to change and they have some key ingredients for change in place.  Below are some tips that I hope are helpful to you and your families as you may be setting out to make some resolutions or changes this year that will truly last the whole year to bring lasting change. 1.     Celebrate Successes --It is critical to celebrate the successes that you have had.  This is a key step in moving forward and staying motivated in one's journey of self-change.  It is often true that you will take two steps forward and one step back because change is hard and it is really important to see progress to keep moving forward.  This is true for children and adults.  For example: even in the worst moments such as a child's tantrum it is often possible to see improvements and provide genuine praise such as, "Johnny, even though you still have to work on using your words, I like how today you calmed down much faster.  That tells me you are using a lot of your coping skills.  Good job!" One activity I like to give to adults or families is to have each person make a list of the 3 things they are most proud of themselves for accomplishing this year and then parents write a list for their children.  Sometimes this can be challenging for the children I work with so if they have trouble coming up with a list I will have their parents give a list first and then they can say whether they agree with the things listed or not.  Either way, I think it is helpful feedback for children to have their parents provide them a list of at least the top 3 things that they think their child has been successful at this past year.  I like to have both parents or various loved ones give lists of their child's successes since often different people see a variety of accomplishments for a child. 2.     Set Realistic Goals that are Clear and Measurable --Setting realistic goals is a key ingredient to success.  You want to set a goal that you can achieve.  The fastest way to feel discouraged is to set an unrealistic goal and then to stop because you were never going to reach that goal. (For example: The quickest way to end up eating a gallon of double chocolate malted crunch ice cream right out of the container is to set a goal to lose 10 pounds in one week.)  It is also important to set goals you can measure regularly such as give my child verbal praise at least 5 times a day since this is something that can be easily counted and isn't ambiguous. 3.     Focus on the Process Versus the Outcome --For example if I set an overall goal to be healthier by changing my diet and exercising more I want to celebrate my successes for having a good process (making it to the gym at least 3 days per week, eating vegetables 5 days per week, no drinking soda, only having fast food twice per week, etc.) since the outcomes related to this (lower cholesterol, weight loss, etc.) will happen in time.  People usually have more success focusing on the process since these are things typically more in our immediate control. 4.     Set Timelines for Change for Over Several Months --To be successful it is critical to know that real change takes time.  Research shows that often to make lasting change that becomes a habit often takes doing a certain behavior for a minimum of 2 months so make sure to make resolutions that are for at least a couple of months minimum.  It is better to start small and have a longer plan since you will be more likely to maintain this change over time.  I hope this new year brings you health and happiness and that you choose joy.  Good luck in your journey as you move forward, hopefully celebrating many successes and also continuing to set new goals to challenge yourself in the new year.

Letting It Go

Dear Friends of Quest,     I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy!  Happy Thanksgiving from Quest!  We hope that you have a wonderful holiday this month. This issue of our newsletter includes tips regarding how to let things go in order to live a more full life.  At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life.  We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.    Sincerely, Jodie Knott, Ph.D. Director and Licensed Psychologist Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

Letting it Go  (Written by Brittany McKee, Quest Counselor) The month of November is a common month in which we take the time to think about the things we are most thankful for in our lives.  With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it seemed to be a beneficial time to discuss the art of letting things go.  In a recent article in Psychology Today Judith Sills, PH.D writes in reference to letting things go and moving forward so that we can focus more of our time on what we are most grateful and thankful for.  Sills notes the importance of getting "unstuck" and how it involves reconsidering the past from a different point of view.  This can be very difficult for us to do because it forces us to confront the three strongest emotional drives we as humans have: love, fear and rage.  Having the capabilities to acknowledge the things that are difficult for us to let go of and to look at them from a different point of view can give us the opportunity to move forward. [1] Sills presents six action steps to take to let things go.   1. Anchor Yourself in the Future It can be difficult to let go of the past when we do not have a positive view of tomorrow.  It is really important to have a vision for tomorrow.  Having a positive activity or goal to look forward to will help pull you out of the quicksand of yesterday.  2. Discard To actively push past the past it is important to discard things that are going to keep you in the past.  Sometimes it can be difficult to discard things, in which case, you can put these memories in a box or suitcase and put them in the back of your closet until discarding them will be less difficult.  But it is important to keep discarding so that we can keep moving toward the future. 3. Repair Making amends can be an important part of letting go and moving forward.  Stating your remorse involves three parts--an articulation of the harm you feel you did; a chance for the other person to express his or her point of view or past pain; and an authentic expression of remorse from the heart.   4. Transform Your Narrative A powerful way to ease past pain is to rewrite key aspects of the story from a more balanced point of view.  A healthy rewrite can make you feel less victimized, devastated and less lost.  They do not change the facts of the narrative they just look at the facts from more empathetic, mature and less injured eyes that can help you let go. 5. Forgive Transforming your narrative is one of the toughest steps toward forgiveness.  It can feel powerfully rewarding to continue feeling angry when we are deeply wronged.  Forgiving someone can even make us feel as though we are letting the bad guy get off easily.  Forgiveness is  a decision that says "You wronged me.  I didn't deserve it.  I've been angry long enough.  I am laying down my anger because I don't want to carry it anymore."   6. Learn to Be Present There is nothing more powerful than learning to be in the present.  Having a sense of mindfulness, an acquired skill, has stress-reduction benefits that are well documented and can give us many positive emotional side effects.  As you increase your mindfulness, you will be able to get past the past.  [1] Sills, J (2014). Psychology Today. Let It Go! Sills presents six action steps to take to let things go.

Limiting Electronic Exposure

Dear Friends of Quest,     I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy!  Happy Halloween from Quest!  We hope that you have a wonderful holiday today. This issue of our newsletter includes information regarding how to limit children's time and exposure to television and electronics, especially regarding violent or more mature content.  At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life.  We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.    Sincerely, Jodie Knott, Ph.D. Director and Licensed Psychologist Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

Limiting Children's Time and Exposure to Violence and Other More Mature Content Given children's high interest and often obsession with television and other electronics such as video games it can be very challenging for parents to limit both children's time on across these devices, but also what type of mature and violent content they are exposed to.  While this can be challenging due to the wide range of devices and often the pressure from children it is critical for children's well-being that there are clear limits set on the amount of time they have for time interacting with electronics, but also they types of messages that they are exposed to when they actually are plugged in.      The American Academy of Pediatrics has come out to say that television should not be viewed by children under two at any time.  There is also a lot of information regarding both the amount of exposure and potential harm that exposure to electronics can bring to children.      Children and teenagers have been found to spend an average of four hours per day watching television, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.  This time does not include time spent on the computer, being on the internet, smartphones, or playing video games.  Some negative effects that electronics can have on children and teens include: 1) Increased obesity risk--too much screen time can promote a sedentary lifestyle, which is one of the major contributing factors in obesity.  The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry estimated that 33% of teens in 2011 were obese an recommended that by replacing 30 minutes of screen time per day with physical activity would dramatically decrease children's health risks. [1]  Additionally, children who view television are found to be more vulnerable targets of advertisements for food products of poor nutritional value than children who don't watch television. [2] 2) Increased aggression--teens with exposure to violent television and video games may also experience increased aggression by being more likely to fight with peers, argue with teachers, and have more generally aggressive behaviors according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. [1]  Research studies have shown that children exposed to violent images are initially frightened and traumatized. With repeated exposure, they can become desensitized to the real effects of violence. Children exposed in this way may act aggressively, with no sense of consequences. [2] 3)  Sleep problems--Having electronics in your teenager's bedroom can negative affect his or her normal sleep cycle.  This is true even when children are not getting up to answer their phones since updates might be disturbing their sleep if their devices aren't completely powered down. [1] 4)  Potential mental health problems--spending too much time playing video games can increase depression in teens who have a predisposition to social or mental health problems, notes Douglas A. Gentile, a psychology professor at Iowa State University.  He cites how there is a group of teens who become addicted to video games and become isolated and depressed.  Gentile recommends monitoring and limiting game time as appropriate. [1] 5)  Television and electronic media displace social interaction--the American Academy of Pediatrics also found that time spent watching television or playing a computer game is "time not spent engaged in a creative activity, or interacting with other people. Television viewing is an especially passive experience, offering no opportunity to interact or respond. When the amount of time spent in front of the television or sitting at a game console is prolonged, it can displace social activities such as play, or even conversation. Spending too much time with electronic media can be an isolating experience, with a negative impact on the development of social skills." [2] 6)  Movies and television portray an unrealistic view of the world--The American Academy of Pediatrics also found that movies and television programs glamorize smoking and drinking and send dangerous messages to children. [2]  On a similar note, Dr. Martha Klassen and I recently heard Geena Davis speak about her institute's research regarding gender in the media.  Geena Davis' Institute's data regarding how girls and women are being portrayed in programming designed for children under 6 is considered the highest in the field and is now informing policy at places from the UN to Disney since her organization's work revealed that only 17% of characters on screen for children are female, that female characters are typically in supporting roles and have lower level careers compared to males presented, and it is not uncommon for females to be presented in suggestive clothing. More can be found about Davis' organization and their findings and efforts to change what children are exposed to at www.seejane.org. What you can do to limit your child's exposure: 1)  Set clear time limits on the amount of screen time that your child receives during the week.  For many of my families that I work with screen time isn't a right, but a privilege that is earned in small doses.   2)  If your child has difficulty abiding by the time limits or rules of screen time, you might remove screen time all together or put parameters in place to help monitor its use such as: -lock up devices or keep out of children's bedrooms for better monitoring -have passwords on all devices -know potential of all devices (for example: I have had young children in my practice before accessing inappropriate content on the internet through their Wii since the parent didn't set parental controls not realizing the device with the potential to access the internet) -use apps that can shut down electronics when time is up (some phone carriers provide these options as well)    3)  Have hard limits about what types of programming your child is allowed to be exposed to.  The facts are that there are many negative elements in television, films, and video games and especially given the large amount of time that children these days spend on these devices it can have a large negative impact on children.  You need to be your child's biggest advocate despite how they will pressure you or even how other adults might tell you that these things are not damaging.  Games, shows, and movies have ratings for a reason.  One website I find helpful for making decisions about appropriate content for different age children is www.commonsensemedia.org since this will review a movie with potential areas of concern prior to going to a film or watching a show and being surprised.  This site also provides potential talking points for good discussions with children.  It can be tough sometimes to set hard limits, but your children need you to be the bad guy for them. 4)  Sometimes you might choose to allow your child to watch a show or play a game that has some questionable content as a way to educate your child about an issue.  This can be incredibly helpful.  We want our children questioning the world around them.  For example: Geena Davis gave an example during her talk about how you could talk to children about a scantily clad girl going to rescue someone where you could ask questions like "Do you think someone would really dress like that to go help somebody?"  "What do you think you would wear instead?"  Images for teens with alcohol and smoking for teens could lead to a conversation with teens in this area about your family values about drug use and what you expect for them. 5)  Be confident knowing that you are not alone and that there are many other parents out there who are also out there who are also making the same choices.  The more you can partner together the better.       [1] Roberts, Holly. The negative effects electronics have on teens. September 6, 2011 www.livestrong.com [2] Walsh, Eileen.  Electronics and young children. February 18, 2011 http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Electronic_Media/

Connection of Diet and Attention/Behavior

Dear Friends of Quest,     I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy!  Our school year groups started last week and we are off to a great start.  Our school year groups began on:   Wednesday, September 24th (we are still accepting last minute signups)  Fall Groups  Early Afternoon Therapy Group --General group at the Central Library in Huntington Beach from 4 to 6pm on Wednesdays. Rock Climbing Therapy Group --At ClimbX Indoor Rock Climbing Gym from 6 to 8pm on Wednesdays.  This issue of our newsletter includes information regarding how diet can affect attention.  At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life.  We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.    Sincerely, Jodie Knott, Ph.D. Director and Licensed Psychologist Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California

The Connection Between Diet and Attention and Behavior  This month, Experience Life, had a great article by Pamela Weintraub summarizing some of the current research and thoughts in the field regarding attention and behavior related to diet, titled, "Connecting ADHD and Nutrition."  Weintraub's writing details the start of concerns regarding diet and behavior in the 1970's to recent, rigorous studies to examine the diet/attention connection.  She also provides several tips for parents regarding how to integrate, nutrition-based approaches into their child's life to see if these changes impact behavior.      Questions about how diet could affect behavior was first developed by Dr. Ben Feingold, a pediatric allergist, in the 1970's when he came to believe that food dyes, preservatives, and some chemicals in food could cause hyperactivity.  There became a lot of controversy about Dr. Feingold's theories, with some studies disproving him, but many parents insisting that his recommended diet was working for their children.        Weintraub noted that a problem with Dr. Feingold's approach was that it pointed to too many problematic substances and didn't create for a way to separate out for various diagnoses.  She stated "the only way to tell whether eliminating a given food or additive might aid a certain disorder is to conduct studies to the highest standards of science.  And in recent years, researchers have done just that." (page 62)  Notably, Dr. David Schab of Colombia University Medical Center performed a meta-analysis (an analysis of all the placebo-controlled, double-blind studies) and found that artificial food colors had an enormous, negative effect of focus and concentration, and increased hyperactivity in a subset of children and teens.  In addition, the preservative sodium benzoate can trigger hyperactivity and inattentiveness.  These effects were more pronounced for young children and for those with more exposure to the dyes or sodium benzoate.  In addition, Lidy Pelsser, Ph.D., a researcher at the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands placed 50 children with ADHD on a restrictive diet of water, rice, turkey, lamb, lettuce, carrots, pears, and other whole foods rarely known to cause allergies and 64% of children had significant remission of symptoms, and most children relapsed after stopping the elimination diet.  Of note, despite criticism given these types of findings the FDA decided after an 8 to 6 split vote not to put warning labels on food with food coloring, while conversely in Europe a similar panel voted to label food and many international food makers are only using natural dyes, while American food products continue to use artificial colorings.      Julia Rucklidge, Ph.D. in New Zealand published a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trail testing a micronutrient mix (14 vitamins, 16 minerals) versus a placebo to find that those taking the micronutrient reported greater improvement in inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.  In addition, a greater effect was found for those who had been taking the micronutrient for longer periods.      Weintraub also sites work by Dr. Kenneth Brock in his book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies, in which he reports that gluten and casein can sometimes profoundly exacerbate symptoms associated with ADHD.  He notes that by removing gluten and casein from children's diets in these cases it is possible to have children who are much calmer, focused, and who have overall better general health.      Next, Weintraub discussed the work of physicians, Drs. Luke Curtis and Kalpana Patel, since they advocate for bundling nutritional and environmental interventions together.  In their work they often will eliminate foods and dyes, add whole foods, supplements, and probiotics, and reduce a child's exposure to toxins and then see positive changes for the child.   Weintraub's provides a list from the experts for a "Nutritional Tune-Up"  (Of course, consult your physician or naturopath to discuss these specifically for your family) 1.  Remove artificial colorings--especially Red #40, Blue #2, Yellow #5, and Yellow #6. 2.  Eliminate food additives--especially the preservative sodium benzoate (commonly in soda and other carbonated beverages, fruit juices, jams, salad dressings, condiments, and pickles). 3.  Remove medicines and foods containing salicylates--found in aspirin and fruits 4.  Supplement your child's meals with targeted micronutrient--vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. 5.  Try a restrictive diet like referenced for Dr. Pelsser above and if symptoms subside slowly reintroduce foods to try and see what your child is having a food allergy to. 6.  Try an elimination diet such as a gluten and casein free diet. 7.  Consider your child's gastrointestinal health--work with a physician to add a probiotic along with the supplement tricycline to improve problems related to leaky gut if appropriate. 8.  Consider a low-glycemic eating plan (high in protein and fiber, low in carbs such as refined carbs and sugar). 9.  Rebuild your child's diet based on whole, organic, nutrient-dense foods. I know this article summary has a lot of information and a lot of tips.  My hope is that this information will create opportunities for parents to increase communication with their children's physician's and other providers in the community such as naturopathic providers so that more comprehensive services can be provided for children.