ADHD rates in children are at an epidemic level and still rising. In order to combat these rising rates and better treat the condition, it’s important to understand what’s happening in the brain of a child with ADHD. Based on the science of neuroplasticity or brain plasticity, many aspects of the brain are changeable over the course of a lifetime. By knowing what areas of the brain are affected, we can target our treatment approach accordingly to strengthen and change these weak functions of the brain. The following ADHD infographic provides a visual overview of ADHD and what’s happening in the brain of a child with ADHD.
Keep reading to learn more about right brain deficiency.
From the book “Disconnected Kids” – Chapter 5
An ADHD brain is weak in functions of the right hemisphere. Children with right hemisphere deficits don’t feel their bodies well. They have poor muscle tone, especially of the large postural muscles near the spine. The most glaring symptom is an odd gait.
They will also have delayed and poor gross motor skills, in clouding poor balance, rhythm, and coordination. This means they will trip and fall a lot for no good reason.
This oddness can also be noted in their social skills. They may say inappropriate things without understanding why they are wrong. They often have a hard time making friends.
These kids are usually very picky eaters. They avoid foods because they don’t have a normal sense of small or taste. They don’t eat foods that kids normally like, especially sweets.
The right brain is about reading people and situations but the left brain is about reading words. So, when children do not develop the right brain’s nonverbal skills, it makes learning verbal skills difficult or even impossible. Children with right brain deficiencies may be good at reading words but will not be good at interpreting what they are reading. They may also be good with numbers but be bad at higher-level math skills.
Children with right hemisphere weaknesses have poor attention. They are impulsive and anxious. They also tend to be compulsive. They may display unusual or inappropriate giddiness, or they may have outbursts of anger when they get frustrated.
Autoimmune disorders, such as allergies and asthma, often go hand in hand with the right brain imbalance. These children are often very sensitive to the environment and certain foods, and my have a number of contact allergies. When the right side cannot suppress the immune system, it can cause inflammation in the body and brain. This can become chronic. These children will have poor digestion. A rapid heartbeat is also common.
Want to know more about right brain deficiency? Check out my book “Disconnected Kids” to learn more about brain function in children with ADHD and what you can do to help remediate hemispheric deficits.
