Schmitt 1

Laurencia Schmitt
Mrs. DeBock
English
18 February 2016
Essential Question: Why should alternative treatment be given to children with ADHD instead of
medication?
Working Thesis: Alternative therapy and activities should be the initial treatment for children
with ADHD because studies have proven them to be effective in slowing down inattentiveness in
children.
Refined Thesis: Alternative therapy and activities should be the initial treatment for children with
ADHD because studies has proven them to be effective in slowing down inattentiveness in
children and increasing concentration.

Annotated Bibliography
Carrer Jorgensen and Rogerio Luiz. Music and Sound in Time Processing of Children with
ADHD. Frontiers in Psychiatry Sept 2015: 1-7. HCS Smart Search. Web. 23 Feb 2016.
Many treatments have been researched and studied to assist children with ADHD. One of the
most recent research studies have been the effect that music has on a childs ability to focus. In
Carrer and Rogerios article research is completed and data is collected on how music can slow
down the childs inattentiveness. The group of researchers gathered a group of kids and separated
them into three groups; kids with ADHD in two separate groups and kids without ADHD
(control group). Data was recorded using special software on the computer and a musical

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keyboard. The testing was divided up into different task areas; time estimation with music, time
estimation with simple sounds and time production. Carrer and Rogerios article will support my
position that children with ADHD need other forms of treatment and coping abilities other than
medication.

Dominica Sharon. Improving the Welfare of Your ADHD Child with Five Therapeutic
Activities. Web. 2011.
Therapeutics steps are important in teaching and guiding a child with ADHD. Improving a
childs attention span is important and makes it interesting for the child when the activity
includes channeling his or her focus or the child having to think about categorizing bright colors.
In Dominicas article, using colored blocks to sort and create objects is one of the activities used
to increase a childs attention span. Throwing a ball into a bucket helps the child with
coordination and attention. It also helps the child with concentration and focus. One of the other
activities that Dominica talked about in her article was trampoline jumping. Jumping on the
trampoline requires not only physical activity but sensory stimulation, two more things that with
increase concentration. I chose this article because it gives other activities besides medicine to
help and treat children with ADHD and the activities can be a family fun!

Wallace, Maureen. Art Therapy to Treat ADHD in Children. Web. 8 Jan 2014.
Art therapy is also used as a coping method to having ADHD. Art therapy is beneficial
for children who have ADHD because it allows them to express feelings, emotions and thoughts
through the hands and releases energy. In Wallace's article, art therapy uses the processes of
drawing, painting and sculpting to improve well-being and confidence in kids. A child with

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ADHD using art to cope helps to generate a relaxing response. It also helps to improve the
childs mood. Sculpting reduces a childs stress hormones. Therapy session recommendations are
usually 30 minutes long per week. This article also explains the benefits of alternative therapy in
relation to increasing attentiveness and concentration.