From: yasu@ll.mit.edu (Alan Yasutovich)
Subject: Re: Attention Deficit Disorder
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 12:17:25 GMT

In article <00713730322@elgamy.sccsi.com> elg@elgamy.sccsi.com (Eric Lee Green) writes:
>From article <13415@creare.COM>, by shh@creare.COM (Sheila Hopkins):
>>
>>       My 9 1/2 year old daughter has recently been diagnosed with Attention
>> Deficit Disorder.  Her doctor is recommending putting her on Ritalin as part of
>> her treatment.
>>
>>       I'd really like to hear from other parents of children with ADD for someideas on how to help her and to hear experiences with Ritalin treatment.
>
>There's plenty of other parents with ADD here, so I suppose you've heard
>from them by now. What I'm about to say is controversial, especially with
>them, but here it goes:
>
>    I personally would not recommend Ritalin until all other possible
>    interventions have been used, especially behavioral training and
>    "coping skills" instruction. Ritalin is a powerful psychostimulant with
>    some possibly serious side effects for a girl your child's age (she's
>    going to be entering into her adolescent growth spurt within two
>    years). Note that Ritalin is *NOT* recommended for use during puberty,
>    since it can cause permanent stunting of growth. Therefore your child
>    will have to cope without Ritalin within two year's time. In the event
>    that she cannot currently cope without Ritalin, behavioral training and
>    "coping skills" instruction should NOT be neglected, because she will
>    need to be "weaned" from the drug eventually in order to allow ordinary
>    adolescent growth to take place.
>
>I would also question your doctor about what training he has had in
>diagnosing ADD and other such "diseases". Most pediatricians have had no
>such training, since "ADD" is a recent innovation, and if your pediatrician
>has had no such training you may wish to get a second opinion from someone
>who has.
>
>Another thing that I recommend for all kids, but especially "active" kids,
>is that they be introduced to sports and physical fitness training at
>around age ten or so. Your daughter is probably ready for this. I'm not
>talking about tossing your daughter onto the soccer field and saying
>"run!". I'm talking about serious physical fitness stuff. There is a book
>called "Kid fitness" (I forget the author) which might be useful in
>figuring out things that can be done. Physical activity during puberty is
>especially important for girls, because generally they reduce their
>activity level severely due to feeling awkward and embarassed over their
k"girlish activities". Girls who remain physically active (the minority)
>generally have stronger bones and larger heart/lung capacity as adults than
>girls who do not, and are at less risk of osteosporosis and CPOD
>(Cardio-pulmonary obstructive disease) in later life. In addition, in some
>cases (but not all) it appears that large amounts of physical activity can
>reduce "attention deficit" behaviors. It's free, it's healthy, it's worth a
>try.
>
>--
> Eric Lee Green  elg@elgamy.sccsi.com         Dodson Elementary
> (713) 437-6908  uunet!nuchat!elgamy!elg      Houston, TX
>                "Kids are kids, no matter what"



	Here is a letter that I use for distribution to people.
	I've posted it before.  I'll post it again.
	The program primarily targets kids.  There are other
	things that people can be sensitive to not mentioned in
	the program, but this seems to cover about 90% of it.
	Funny thing is that the father of the boy mentioned below
	used to get headaches in the afternoon.  He stopped drinking
	diet stuff.  The Nutra sweet seemed to be a problem.  And
	it seems as though the food colors (red & yellow) are major
	offenders in this area, too.  I know it's my daughters major
	problem.

	P.S.  The major group of kids affected are male, blond,
	and firstborn.

	Good luck.

	Hope this helps.



					23 S. Whipple St.
     				 	Lowell MA 01852
					Phone: 508-453-2321


From: Alan & Mary Jo Yasutovich

To: Public media and parents, with concern for children

Subject: Child Behavior Problems, ADHD, and the Feingold Association.

		Periodically television and newspapers present reports and
	articles that focus on child behavior problems.  Sometimes evaluations 
	are made on the subject by physicians or psychologists who are employed
	by television networks.  Each time we see anything presented on this 
	subject we notice that both parents and doctors are predisposed with 
	the notion that the cause of kids hyper-active or poor behavior is 
	generally related to something called, "Attention Deficient Disorder" 
	(ADD) or "Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD), in 
	addition to kids having, "problems at home".  With regard to our
	experience with the Feingold diet and associated results we 
	believe that: 

	1) A percentage of children diagnosed as having behavior problems
	with symptoms like ADHD are experiencing, rather, an allergic or
	sensitivity reaction to certain foods, additives, or preservatives.
	Based on our experience, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS PERCENTAGE IS VERY HIGH!

	2)  We also believe that it is incorrect to feed a child a food 
	substance which creates a behavior reaction, and then follow that 
	with a drug (in the case of ADD or ADHD, Ritalin) to counteract this 
	reaction.

		This letter will describe a program called the Feingold diet.  
	The program is administered by the Feingold Association, and is based on
	the findings of Dr. Feingold.  The following missive will describe 
	various aspects of the program which we, and other friends, have 
	successfully used on our own children to produce immediate and 
	dramatic behavior changes in our own children who might have been 
	otherwise (and in one case actually was) diagnosed as having 
	"ADHD" under different circumstances.

		It is our hope that you and your organization will look into 
	this matter and review materials from the Feingold Association itself, 
	with the final goal of providing publicity, education, and even 
	televised documentaries on what you learn concerning the simplicity 
	and overwhelming success of this program.

		You are encouraged to contact us or the Feingold Association for
	additional information about this little known, common sense approach to
	child welfare and healthy living.  The address of the Northeast Regional
	Feingold Association Office is:

			Mrs. Pat Palmer - National President
			       Feingold Association
			   127 East Main St., Suite 106
			      Riverhead, N.Y.  11901

			          516-369-9340


	Background:

		I am the father of a 2 1/2 year old girl.  My wife and I have 
	been happily married for almost 9 years, and the birth of our daughter 
	was not an accident.  Mary Jo has primarily been an "at home" Mom who 
	has been dedicated to coddling Stacey the first years of her life.  Our 
	daughter has always been loud and cute. But mostly she's always been a 
	little extreme as far as being noisy, bossy, and demanding.  Being an 
	"at home" Mom,  my wife has been the central focus of Stacey's world,
	and vice versa.  One day in the fall of 1991,  Mary Jo became unusually 
	exasperated by her daily experience with Stacey.  She said,  "You know
	I love her so much.  But I really want to "like" her, too!"  I could 
	understand what she was saying.  Stacey could and did make as much noise
	and demands on a person as any group of 4 kids we've seen.  I was 
	actually surprised that it took my wife this long to finally tire 
	of over 2 years of this high energy behavior.  To her statement I 
	responded, "You know, it shouldn't be a full time job for two 
	adults to administrate one 2 year old."  Additionally, shortly 
	after this conversation my wife and daughter made one of their regular 
	visits to her mother.  I guess Stacey was in particularly "rare form" 
	that day.  Concerning Stacey, my mother-in-law said to my father-in-law 
	later that night, "Jim, there's something really wrong there!"

		Coincidentally, my wife read something in a mothers book about 
	kids who experience certain adverse reactions to different foods.  In 
	this exasperated state she read me stories about kids that had allergic 
	or sensitivity reactions to certain foods, and asked me what I thought. 
	I said, "Well you know, those stories sound kind of extreme.  And we're 
	not junk food eaters.  I'm not really sure any of it would apply.  But 
	if you want to try things out, go ahead."

		The program is set up by the "Feingold Association", started by 
	Dr. Feingold.  The entire program centers around children having 
	sensitivity reactions to food items and additives.  

	Theses include:

	1) Food Preservatives (BHA, BHT, TBHQ) 
	2) Artificial Food Colorings (petroleum base)
	3) Natural Salicylates
	4) Artificial Food flavorings

	Special note:  These DO NOT include:

	1) SUGAR:  Most kids can have as much sugar as they/you want them to
	have!  Another misconception!  Sugar generally has no effect on their 
	activity level. Since most products which contain sugar also contain
	something artificial and based on our own experience, we feel that 
	sugar is getting blamed falsely.

		The Feingold association is a nationwide organization where, for
	a $45 donation (or less if the money is a serious problem) you join 
	the organization.  About a week later you receive literature that 
	outlines all foods that contain various things which children may 
	react to, as well as product and manufacturer specific information which
	is organized by region of the country.  Different children react 
	differently to various things, and product labels only list ingredients 
	that the manufacturer puts in; not what is in the ingredients the 
	manufacturer includes.

		So my wife began, on the shoestring information she had, to 
	limit our daughters diet from things like food colorings and 
	preservatives that she read on boxes.  This process began on a Saturday 
	morning.  By the next day the difference in Stacey's behavior was so 
	pronounced that her sunday school teachers as well as other adults that 
	were involved with her came to us with reports of how well she had 
	behaved that day.  "She even SAT DOWN and read with us", one teacher 
	reported; We had said nothing about our experiment to anyone, nor did 
	we expect an immediate result.

		These positive results have continued, and we've continued to 
	received positive feedback from others about her behavior. I have posted
	this letter on an international computer network and it has been 
	received well.  We've received information from Feingold about many 
	common foods which contain Salicylates in their natural form. Many of
	these will throw Stacey into a reaction frenzy which can raise the 
	tension level in our household almost to a point of physical violence 
	over a period of a couple of days. The day she had orange juice she
	ran around in circles on the rug, leaving a path, and successfully
	did a backflip off the couch.  Examples of these items include such
	common foods as orange juice, raisins, apples, and grape juice.  Such 
	common daily items as tooth paste. Bubble bath, which is full of 
	artificial coloring, and even the dye and fragrances used in some 
	disposable diapers, are absorbed through the skin. And bubble bath 
	reacts even better when taken internally as your 2 year old drinks the 
	bath water.

		What are the signs that a child is experiencing a reaction like 
	this?  A physical sign is a darkness and puffiness under the eyes.
	We have old pictures of Stacey where this shows up.  In the case of a
	friend of ours, the reaction shows up as (believe it or not) bright red 
	ears. Every child is unique, so reactions may vary. Some of the common
	signs manifest in our daughter are CONSTANT motion, CONSTANT talking,
	lack of self-control, lack of any attention span, over reaction to 
	sounds, and disruptive behavior. These signs can, and will, come and 
	go within hours as a child is exposed to and removed from the influence 
	of an element that they experience a reaction to. (Older childeren
	sometimes take a day or two to "flush out" because of slower metabolism)

		It should also be noted that while these "sensitivity 
	reactions" to things may be described as "allergic", allergy tests 
	performed by physicians for any of these things will NOT show positive 
	for any of the substances involved.  The reason is that these are
	"neurological" reactions as opposed to "allergic".

		As a final tribute to how quick people are to mis-diagnose
	a problem, here's a story.  We personally know the woman with the son 
	who's ear turns red.  He seems to have problems of an "allergic", in
	addition to a, "sensitivity", nature.  But the Feingold Program has 
	worked very well for her.  Her son is now lives life on a much calmer 
	level.  But a medical transcript was given to this woman because she is 
	still pursuing other allergy specialists in that regard.  A nurse who 
	had never examined her son diagnosed him as "ADHD" based on verbal 
	reports, thus labeling him as such to the medical community.  So you 
	can see both how quick and impulsive people are to use this label, and 
	how similar the symptoms of a person experiencing a sensitivity reaction
	are to those believed to be "ADHD" based on the interpretation of a 
	medical professional.
	
	THE SAD PART:

	1)  The lack of support of others.  

	Often the very closest friends and relatives are not supportive of the 
	Feingold program, even under circumstances where parents who implement 
	the program observe extraordinary results. The son of our friend 
	mentioned above becomes extremely hyper-active during a period of 
	reaction.  The parents had made random attempts to diagnose their 
	son's behavior over the years based on a theory of allergic reactions. 
	The boy has had the allergy tests mentioned above. The trouble was that 
	this boy reacts to so many things that they frequently gave up their 
	attempts to determine what was wrong because the results were never 
	conclusive. As I pointed out, he is now "drug free" (by the Feingold 
	definition), and his parents are quite happy about the change in his 
	behavior.  But even with this dramatic change many people closest to 
	the family haven't been willing to give Feingold the credit.  They still
	say things like, "oh, he's just being a little boy."  Or, "He really 
	just needs a good slap." Or even, "Just cut out SUGAR"  It is, 
	of course, people with these pessimistic viewpoints who have attempted 
	to label programs like Feingold as foolish, and have tended to 
	dissuade sometimes desperate parents from trying the correct solution.  
	Happily it is not, however responsible for turning people away from 
	Feingold.  That is because the programs results are so dramatic that the
	saying, "once a Feingolder, always a Feingolder", holds true. But it is 
	this lack of understanding and support that herds kids like these into 
	the dungeon of being branded as having a, "behavior problem".

	2) The ineffectiveness of discipline.

	Physical (or verbal) punishment is of absolutely no effect when a child 
	is in the middle of a reaction like we describe! I (and my wife) have 
	spanked my daughter for bad behavior during a period when she's
	experiencing a reaction to something. (Let me quickly add that she
	doesn't NEED strict discipline when she's NOT reacting to anything.  
	That has become one of the signs we look for)  Stacey waits patiently 
	for the punishment to be over so she can continue her previous behavior.
	Her attention span is zero!  When speaking to her, her eyes drift away 
	where she normally would be attentive. (This is as opposed to most of 
	the time when she reacts perfectly to verbal commands.)  A good example
	was the time Mom and Stacey were sorting socks.  Stacey loves to do 
	this!  But on this particular day she had "gotten into something".  I 
	heard my wife attempt in vain to even get Stacey to focus on the socks 
	much less actually help sort them.  We've heard of one woman who's son 
	actually tore his mattress apart.  And stories of these kids being 
	thrown out of daycare for behavior problems also abound.  It is no 
	wonder that parents and medical professionals only answer to this 
	obviously defiant attitude is to use a drug like Ritalin to 
	tranquillize children.

		Psychologists and medical doctors spend all of their time 
	trying to explain these behavior problems and difficulties by pointing 
	to causes like ADHD and "problems at home" as the cause.  They are 
	correct about there being a "problem at home".  But not because kids 
	have bad homes, or because the parents are bad people, or because they 
	are not loved.  It is because the kids are being slowly poisoned. And 
	when they act the same uncontrolled way any adult person on a 
	substance abuse "high" would act, the stress understandably becomes too 
	much for parents to deal with.  They sometimes hurt their kids in the 
	discipline process. During these times the parents themselves realize 
	the situation is out of control.  But there is no "fix" for the behavior
	problem other than removing its source.

	As I said in the beginning, even I couldn't see the value of this 
	program for myself.  But I have seen the behavior of my daughter change 
	for the worse because of a common glass of orange juice. And I have 
	seen it change back to normal in a few hours by eliminating certain 
	things from her life.  I have also seen the dark rings under her eyes 
	when she has been exposed to something she reacts to.  We have received 
	numerous requests from desperate parents. Parents who will just about 
	try anything to obtain some peace and order in their home life. We 
	continue to receive positive reports from each person who begins using
	the program for even a day or two.  And almost everone we talk to
	about this knows someone who they recommend the program to.  Enough 
	positive feedback to tell us that this is not just a random or 
	infrequent problem.

	CONCLUSION:

	1) The medical profession acknowledges ignorance about the cause of
	ADHD, and knowledge of why Ritalin "helps" the problem.  Actual 
	experience with the implementation of the Feingold diet demonstrates 
	that the medical community interprets symptoms which the Feingold 
	diet "cures", as ADHD disorder.

	2) When asked, the medical communities evaluation of the Feingold
	diet is simply, "It's worth a try."

	3) The Feingold diet is, by admission, not 100% complete.  There are
	a very small percentage of other substances which some children may
	have problems with.  But The diet has proven completely successful in 
	a high percentage of cases, and helpful in the rest.  The leftover kids
	who are not "cured" by the Feingold program often have a problem
	which involes a combined problem of a both, "reactive", and, 
	"allergic", nature.

	4) Because this problem is one of a neurological reaction rather than
	of an "allergic" nature, the "Feingold kids" have fallen through the
	cracks of the medical system. That is because alergy tests look for
	a change in the histamine level.  This does not occur in a neurological
	reaction.   While it is impossible for us to make a valid "statement of 
	fact" here, there is an overwhelming consensus forming that the 
	Feingold philosophy is, in fact, the root cause of ADHD.  This 
	consensus is gaining wider acceptance in the medical community as well.

	5) It is necessary for people to recognize the Feingold program,
	(or similar philosophies) as the first avenue of response to a
	childs hyper-active behavior, or poor attention span.  It is only
	good healthy common sense to make the attempt to remove a potential
	problem FIRST, before drugs get used and the kids get labeled as
	being "bad".

		It is my hope that your staff will investigate what I have said 
	and assist in educating the public in correcting a problem.  There are 
	so many problems that nobody has any solution for. If people can just 
	use common sense and learn to eliminate items to which kids are 
	sensitive to from their diets then many parents can eliminate their 
	kids disruptive behavior using a simple solution to what has always 
	been interpreted as a very complex and expensive problem.  

	Please contact the us or the association for any furthur information
	and review the program yourself. It is our interest to inform the 
	general public about this program.

-- 
	Alan Yasutovich
	"inquiring  (and nosey) minds WANT TO KNOW!!!"
	I can remember when "safe sex" meant having a padded headboard!!
	Tick Tock.....Tick Tock......Tick Tock .....Tick Tock......