Pupils act as guinea pigs in behaviour tablets test

8:30am Friday 29th August 2008

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SECONDARY school pupils have been testing new tablets designed to improve behaviour.

The students at King Edmund School, in Rochford, took part in a trial to see if Omega-3 fatty acids would help a group of children with behavioural problems.

Pupils were given four tablets a day for 12 weeks to see if the acids, which are commonly found in fish, would help them concentrate in class.

The study involved 36 children aged 11 to 14.

Half of them were given the supplement Efalex – which contains Omega-3 and 6 – and the other half were given a sugar pill containing no acids.

Parents and teachers said they saw “great improvements” in the behaviour among the children, saying thay were calmer, less confrontational, and more interested in day-to-day school work.

Michelle Kadir’s son Mehmet, 13, was one of the children who was given the supplement.

The mother-of-three, from St Clare Meadow, Rochford, said: “I was told Mehmet was hyperactive when he was young and there were drugs which could help.

“But I didn’t want him to have to take anything like that.

“He would throw tremendous tantrums when they happened. He would be stomping upstairs and slamming doors.

“They might be triggered by a lot of things. It could be he was told no, or he had problems with his schoolwork. There were times when I was pulling my hair out.

“He would be shouting and throwing things. But now there has been a noticeable difference.

“He has been much more focused and is willing to think things through and think about the consequences of doing something.

“Mehmet is much happier.”

The school’s special education needs co-ordinator Delia Webster helped run the scheme and said she was very happy with the progress of the pupils.

She said: “A number of students taking Efalex showed significant improvements in their behaviour, both at school and at home.

“Many of the families involved have continued to take the Efalex capsules following the trial.

“We are extremely pleased with the results.”

Efalex is available over the counter at chemists.