Lack of Impulse Control/RAD

Lack of Impulse Control: This is one that can wear a mama out! Let's first talk about the cause. Many children have ADHD. It can have a genetic cause or it can be from a chemical imbalance. Children with RAD may have this form of ADHD. They have another form caused by lack of maturity in the development of parts of the brain. They missed stages of development while going through trauma. Trauma itself causes chemical changes in the brain. This puts them in a constant state of hypervigilence (watchfulness), of fear and a view of the world as unsafe. All of these things work together to cause a lack of impulse. Throw in a lack of cause and effect thinking which we will talk about on a later post and you have a recipe for some major problems. Another issue is that often ADHD medications don't work for this type of ADHD. We must be careful of our child's diet. That they receive foods that are good for the brain development and that are calming. Change Your Brain Change Your Life gives much info on this. You can click on the title at the right under my favorite books to find it. Nancy Thomas also gives some valuable information on her website: http://www.attach.org/ . Click on Nutrition. Lack of Impulse Control causes problems at school, church, home and in relationships. These children need a highly structured quiet home environment. We also have Mozart playing most mornings in our home. It is shown that his music stimulates the brain and also has a calming affect. I also play it for myself when I am feeling tense!