Getting the right treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be life-changing – it’s something I saw firsthand in a close friend’s daughter.

At the time, her three-year-old hardly slept, was constantly hyperactive and displayed obsessive behaviours.

Her doctor talked about a potential diagnosis of ADHD and autism – and wanted to prescribe stimulant medication.

Her mother’s instinct told her that introducing a chemical to a young, developing brain may not be a good thing. Instead, she wanted to explore other options – and knowing I had studied experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, she asked me to help her find another way to improve her daughter’s symptoms.

We looked at research together and found that, according to the Autism Research Institute in the US, taking gluten and dairy out of the diet could make a significant difference in children diagnosed with autism, with 69 per cent of parents reporting improvements.

It’s thought some people are unable to digest proteins in wheat and dairy – and that these partially digested molecules affect the brain, altering behaviour.

With this relatively simple dietary change, her daughter’s symptoms were dramatically reduced over a matter of weeks: the meltdowns ceased, her digestive difficulties improved, she could sleep through the night, her obsessive behaviours reduced dramatically and she could attend preschool for the first time.

Conversely, one morning, her father accidentally poured milk on her cereal, and it was as though a switch had been flipped – all the old behaviours returned.

Neurophysiological psychologist Sarah Warley wants to help families with the school holidays

Watching my friend’s little girl flourish convinced me to dedicate my career to helping other families.

I completed postgraduate training as a neurophysiological psychologist, and founded The Key Clinic, helping neurodivergent individuals reach their potential, over a decade ago. We have worked with more than 5,000 families, including many famous faces.

With the school summer holidays now upon us, and families wondering how they can help their children, my hope is that these steps could help you too.

First, let’s deal with the elephant in the room – the concern that too many people are now being diagnosed with ADHD, as expressed recently by Professor Frankie Swords, the NHS national medical director.

In fact, with children (unlike adults) overdiagnosis tends not to be a problem as they will have been seen by an expert.

My concern isn’t with diagnosis itself. It’s what happens afterwards.

Too often, people believe medication is their only option. I’m not against medication – it can be life-changing for some people – but I think we should explore the other options first.

Because while they can be transformative, the drugs can also cause reduced appetite, sleep problems, headaches, increased heart rate and mood changes.

So, instead, my focus is the biology behind the symptoms.

There are three areas I think can have a significant impact on attention, emotional regulation and learning.

The first is retained primitive reflexes. These help the nervous system develop during the first year of life as babies learn to co-ordinate their bodies and interact with the world.

Normally, these reflexes disappear as the brain matures – but when they don’t, I often see children who continue to struggle with balance, co-ordination, handwriting, reading or emotional regulation.

One example is the Moro reflex, a baby’s natural startle response – when they suddenly fling their arms out to the side, often with open hands.

If it remains active beyond infancy, children often have an exaggerated startle response, seem permanently on edge, become overwhelmed by sensory input or are unusually anxious.

Another is the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, which, if it remains active beyond infancy, can make it harder for children to track their eye smoothly across a page – or to move one hand or foot across to the opposite side of their body. This can affect the co-ordinated movements needed for reading, writing and everyday activities.

I’m not saying retained reflexes cause conditions such as ADHD, but I do believe they can contribute to the difficulties many children experience, such as problems with co-ordination, balance, handwriting, reading fluency, concentration or sensory regulation (how the brain processes and responds to sights, sounds, touch and movement).

The encouraging part is that when they’re identified, they can often be addressed through specific exercises designed to help the nervous system mature.

These might include balance exercises or movements that involve crossing the midline.

The second area is auditory processing.

Many children hear perfectly well, but struggle to process what they’re hearing. Some are incredibly sensitive to sound, with every scrape of a chair or whisper in a classroom competing for their attention - making it much harder to concentrate on the teacher.

If that’s contributing to a child’s difficulties, there are listening-based therapies that aim to help the brain process sound more efficiently.

Summer holidays, free from other constraints, can offer a vital opportunity to reset habits for the better. You might be amazed at the difference six or seven weeks can make (picture posed by models)

The third area is what I call bionutrition.

The brain relies on nutrients to produce chemical messengers that influence attention, mood and emotional regulation.

Diet, gut health and the gut microbiome (the community of microbes that live in the gut) all play a part, and research suggests genetic differences can affect how individuals process certain nutrients.

For example, in ADHD patients, research has shown that an imbalance of zinc and copper can reduce dopamine levels, the ‘reward’ hormone (people with ADHD can struggle to focus because their brain is constantly seeking ‘rewards’).

One family who have spoken publicly about working with me are broadcaster Chris Evans and his wife Natasha. Their little boy, Eli, who was seven at the time, struggled with reading and emotional regulation. He was referred to us by a behavioural optometrist as his eyes’ tracking ability was not good, and he had all the symptoms of a combination of ADHD and dyslexia.

By tackling the underlying biological drivers of his symptoms, with 15 minutes of controlled daily exercises a day to address retained primitive reflexes, his eyes were able to track smoothly, and his reading and writing improved dramatically – he went from four years below his reading age, to two years above it.

Following this, we worked on his gut functioning and underlying biochemical imbalances, which were driving his hyperactivity and emotional dysregulation.

For Eli, a gluten-free and dairy-free diet was not necessary. We carried out lab tests to identify where the imbalances lay, then developed a personalised plan using supplements, including omega 3s, to support his gut microbiome – alongside dietary changes, such as including protein with every meal, having fats with sugars and eating foods of a rainbow of colours.

Natasha has described seeing a remarkable change in Eli’s behaviour and mood regulation, too.

She commented that it transformed not only him but the whole family’s daily life, helping him become calmer, happier and more able to engage with learning. Chris has called it ‘a miracle’ on his Virgin radio show.

In my experience, these biological factors deserve much more attention alongside a traditional ADHD assessment.

I’d love to see more children routinely screened for retained reflexes while they’re still at primary school – to find the upstream causes of a symptom or difficulty and then address them.

At the start of the summer holidays, parents often ask me what they can do at home.

My answer is always the same – before looking for specialist interventions, focus on a few simple habits that help the brain function at its best.

Summer holidays, free from other constraints, can offer a vital opportunity to reset habits for the better. You might be amazed at the difference six or seven weeks can make.

Consume wisely

Think carefully about what your family consumes – for children with ADHD symptoms, keeping blood sugar steady can help support more consistent energy, concentration and mood.

Rapid rises and drops in blood glucose after high-sugar foods may contribute to tiredness, irritability and difficulty maintaining focus, although diet is not a cause or cure for ADHD.

A protein-rich breakfast, limiting ultra-processed foods where possible, eating a colourful variety of fruit and vegetables, and making sure children get enough vitamin D and omega 3s are all sensible places to start.

Summer holidays can be a time when snacks and treats become the norm, but the most important thing is maintaining a varied whole-food diet - with treats enjoyed as part of a balanced approach, not replacing nourishing meals.

We also need to think about what we’re feeding our minds. Research has found associations between high levels of social media use and poorer mental health outcomes in young people, including increased anxiety, low mood and sleep disruption.

High levels of social media use has been linked to poorer mental health in young people (picture posed by model)

Get outside

Children need opportunities to negotiate disagreements, read facial expressions, solve problems and simply play together.

Free play is where much of this happens – whether it’s building a den, inventing a game, exploring outdoors or creating stories with friends.

I’m not suggesting banning technology, but I do think we’ve become overprotective about letting children play outdoors while underestimating some of the risks of spending hours online.

Move

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have for brain health.

Research – such as a 2023 review published in The Journal of Attention Disorders – has shown that even short bursts of aerobic exercise can improve attention and self-control in children with ADHD symptoms.

It doesn’t have to be organised sport – walking, cycling, dancing, climbing or simply playing outside are great, too.

A good routine and sleep

Sleep and routine are fundamental. Many neurodivergent children struggle with their body clock, so getting outside into natural daylight soon after waking can help reinforce healthy rhythms.

Regular mealtimes, consistent bedtimes and reducing screen use before bed can also make a surprising difference.

I’m also a huge believer in spending time in nature. A 2001 study, published in the journal Environment and Behavior, found that children with ADHD showed improved concentration after activities in greener outdoor settings.

Many neurodivergent children are naturally imaginative, yet creative subjects are often squeezed out of busy lives. Drawing, painting, music, baking, building or making something with their hands isn’t wasted time.

None of these ideas are magic cures, and they won’t replace professional assessment or treatment where it’s needed, but I always tell parents to get the basics right first.

That’s one of the reasons I’m launching my new BeBright app this September, to make our approach affordable and accessible to everyone.

The app will be free to download – I want to make information that was once available only behind clinic doors accessible to as many families as possible.

As told to Julia Sidwell