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Attention Deficit Disorder / Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patient Testimonials

From the mother of Zachary, an 11 year old ADHD patient

“I want to express our thanks and gratitude for what you and your program has done for Zachary and our family. I do not exaggerate when I say that you have given him a whole new start for his life.

Zach came to you as a child who couldn’t focus, stay on task, couldn’t complete an assignment, was constantly and easily distracted, talked incessantly, fantasized constantly and even filled his “quiet times” with monotonous, repetitive noises and songs. He and I fought over everything – but homework was the worst. Homework was a three-hour nightly battle that left both of us feeling bruised, exhausted and unhappy with each other. Weekends continued the battle because they were set aside for completing the unfinished homework. He had no “free time” and neither did I.

We couldn’t figure out what we were doing wrong. We tried all the parenting skills we learned from various groups and friends. He wasn’t a bad kid, in fact he was quite charming, creative, affectionate and even funny. It was clear he that he was bright, all anyone had to do was talk with him for a few minutes and his intelligence was obvious. His teachers told us from the time he was in second grade that he had great comprehension but somehow he was unable to translate his work to paper – and he disrupted the other students’ ability to complete their own work. We felt that he just wasn’t trying hard enough. So we pushed harder.

With each battle, his self-esteem visibly sank. He became clingy but his hugs and affection were more of the “Do you love me?” type than the “I love you” type. He seemed attracted to kids we would classify as being “on the edge” – an element that concerned us greatly. He seemed sad most of the time.

A teacher suggested that we have him tested for ADD, so we consulted our pediatrician and a neurologist. Both our pediatrician and a psychologist suggested the Drake Institute.

We were skeptical. Brain wave biofeedback seemed like voodoo to us. We were more familiar with the standard treatment of Ritalin. However, we felt that the medication would always be there and we wanted to give this non-invasive, non-drug-oriented treatment a chance. If it didn’t work, we could always go back to medication.

The first thing to disappear was the monotonous, repetitive noises that Zach made in his “quiet times”. He began to spend more time in “reality” and we noticed that some of the parenting tools that we had abandoned were now working. His schoolwork began to improve. I set a limit of 1-½ hours for homework. What he had finished in that time, he finished – no matter what. He began to complete his assignments in less time than that and without an argument.

Now that we are at the end of treatment, it is clear that we have a new child. It is dramatic improvement that can’t be explained away as simply as “maturing”. No one matures this much in eight months.

His grades are improving. Zach recently got the highest grade in his class on a Social Science test. Before, he never had “time” to even finish a test. He completed a nine page book report in two weeks – including reading time – and received a 10, plus four bonus points for turning it in three weeks early. He is getting perfect scores on his spelling. His last report card has his first “A” ever. Best of all, the other night he told me “You know Mom, I’m one of the smartest kids in my class”. We always knew he was smart, now he knows it too.

We don’t fight over homework anymore. He organizes his time and sets his agenda and completes the work. He isn’t a perfect kid. We still fight but now our arguments are well within the normal range of parent/child conflicts. We also cuddle more and he freely expresses his pleasure with himself and me.

Zach is involved in organized sports for the first time. Before, he said he couldn’t “focus” enough to follow a game while it was in process. As a result, he played solitary games or simple games that were easy to follow. With his new skills becoming evident, he was invited to play basketball to emphasize it.

Your program has, quite simply, changed our lives. We are pleased that he accomplished this without medication. He owns the changes in his life and doesn’t have to depend on a cycle of medication kicking in and wearing off.

We are enormously grateful.”

View more testimonials From the father of Momoko More >> From the mother of Rachel, a 9 year old ADHD patient More >> From the parents of Travis, a 7 year old ADHD patient More >> From a 24 year old male patient More >> From the parents of Joshua, a 7 year old ADHD patient More >> From the mother of Zachary, an 11 year old ADHD patient More >> From Zach himself, an 11 year old ADHD patient More >>

 

 

ADD/ADHD • Autism • Language Disorders • Stress Disorders

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