“But Have You Tried…?”

An honest guide to alternative ADHD therapies — what the research actually says

First, Let Me Say Something Important

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a parent who has been doing what good parents do — researching everything you can to help your child. You’ve likely come across neurofeedback, brain training programmes, special diets, supplements, and a dozen other approaches that promise to help your child’s ADHD without medication.

I respect that search. I understand it. And I’m not going to dismiss you for asking the question.

But I owe you an honest answer. After 25 years of working with children who have ADHD, and after carefully following the research, here’s what I can tell you: the evidence for most alternative therapies ranges from weak to non-existent. And the things that actually help your child the most? They’re not the flashy, expensive interventions being marketed to you. They’re the ones you’re probably already doing — or can start doing today.

Let me walk you through the main ones honestly.

Neurofeedback

“Training your child’s brainwaves”

What it is: Your child sits in front of a screen with sensors on their head. A computer monitors their brainwave patterns and rewards them (usually through a game or video) when their brain produces the “right” kind of activity. The idea is that over many sessions — typically 30 to 40 — the brain learns to regulate itself better.

What the research actually shows

This is the one parents ask me about most, and it’s the one that deserves the most careful look — precisely because the claims are so appealing.

Here’s the problem. When researchers looked at the major studies (a landmark analysis published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in 2016 pulled together all the best evidence), they found something revealing:

What does that mean in plain language? It means that much of the reported benefit likely comes from what researchers call expectation effects — parents and teachers seeing what they hope to see. It’s not dishonesty. It’s human nature. When you’ve invested thousands of rands and dozens of hours driving your child to appointments, your brain naturally looks for evidence that it’s working.

Brain Training Programmes

Cogmed, BrainRx, and similar programmes

What they are: Computer-based programmes where your child practises working memory tasks, processing speed exercises, or other cognitive drills. They’re often marketed as “strengthening the brain” in the same way exercise strengthens muscles.

What the research actually shows

The story here is frustratingly consistent. Children get better at the specific tasks they practise — which makes complete sense. If you practise remembering number sequences, you get better at remembering number sequences.

But here’s the crucial question: does that improvement transfer to real life? Does your child remember to bring their lunchbox home? Do they stop losing focus during maths class? Do they follow multi-step instructions better?

The answer, consistently across well-designed studies, is: no, not meaningfully. The technical term is “far transfer” — and brain training programmes have largely failed to demonstrate it. Your child gets better at the game. Their ADHD stays the same.

Dietary Approaches

Elimination diets, omega-3s, sugar reduction

Sugar and ADHD: Let’s clear this one up quickly. Sugar does not cause ADHD and does not make ADHD symptoms worse. This has been studied repeatedly and the answer is consistent. What sugar does do is give children a burst of energy — which can look like hyperactivity but isn’t the same thing. A child bouncing off the walls at a birthday party is having a sugar rush and an exciting time, not an ADHD flare-up.

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil): This is one of the few supplements with some research behind it. Several analyses have found a small, statistically significant effect on attention. But “statistically significant” and “clinically meaningful” are different things. The effect is so small that in practice, you’re unlikely to notice a difference in your child’s daily functioning. That said, omega-3s are generally safe and good for overall health. There’s no harm in giving your child a quality fish oil supplement. Just don’t expect it to be a treatment for ADHD.

Elimination diets: There is a small subgroup of children — genuinely small — who may be sensitive to certain food additives or colourings. But blanket elimination diets are difficult to maintain, stressful for families, and not supported as a general ADHD treatment. If you strongly suspect a food sensitivity, discuss it with your doctor rather than attempting it alone.

Physical Exercise

Now here’s some genuinely good news. Exercise is the strongest non-medication, non-behavioural intervention for ADHD symptoms. And it’s not even close.

Research consistently shows that both immediate bouts of exercise and regular physical activity improve executive function — the very brain skills that ADHD makes difficult. Focus, impulse control, working memory, emotional regulation: exercise helps with all of them.

This doesn’t mean exercise replaces other treatments. But it means that getting your child moving — whether that’s sport, swimming, martial arts, dancing, climbing trees, or just running around the garden — is doing something genuinely therapeutic for their brain.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness-based approaches show genuine promise, particularly for older children and teenagers, and especially for the emotional side of ADHD — the frustration, the anxiety, the emotional intensity that often comes alongside attention difficulties.

The evidence is growing, though it’s not yet as strong as we’d like. The key distinction: mindfulness works best as an addition to evidence-based treatment, not a replacement for it. Think of it as another tool in the toolbox, not the whole toolbox.

For younger children, structured mindfulness activities (breathing exercises, body scans, sensory grounding) can be woven into daily routines without needing a formal programme.

So What Actually Works?

After decades of research involving tens of thousands of children, the evidence points consistently to the same core approaches:

Why Parents Look for Alternatives — And Why That’s Okay

I never judge a parent for exploring alternatives. Usually, the search comes from one of three places:

Genuine concern about medication. This is completely understandable. No parent wants to medicate their child unless they’re confident it’s the right thing. The answer isn’t to avoid the conversation — it’s to have it properly, with someone who will give you honest information rather than either pushing medication or dismissing it.

Wanting to feel you’ve tried everything else first. I understand this impulse deeply. But here’s the difficult truth: while you’re working through months of neurofeedback or brain training or elimination diets, your child is still struggling. Every term they go without effective support is a term of unnecessary difficulty, academic frustration, and potential damage to their self-esteem. The cost of delay is real.

Being marketed to. The alternative therapy industry for ADHD is enormous and sophisticated. Many providers are well-meaning. But the gap between what is claimed and what the evidence supports is often vast. If someone promises to “cure” or “fix” your child’s ADHD, be cautious. ADHD isn’t something that needs fixing. It’s something that needs understanding and support.

The Bottom Line