WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

"A Cure Without Medication - Doctors could not make him better because they could not find the right diagnosis.  They kept saying that he was “ADHD” so they kept giving him medicine.  This medicine made him a Zombie, that medicine had bad side effects, the third medicine just did not work.  He was not “ADHD”.  What could be wrong with him?  According to Society, ALL kids with hyperness and inability to concentrate are ADHD.  Why not this child? 

My son was one of the many children in the world who was given the standard diagnosis.  Doctors would listen to only some of the symptoms.  Had they heard me when I said that standard noises hurt his ears, he said sentences out of sequence, and he could not verbalize feelings, they would have seen that he did not have ADHD.  My son had other issues….he had a Processing Disorder with Sensory Integration.  Jake could not handle loud noises.  We could not go to restaurants at Peak Times because it would put him into a “fit”.  He brain could not handle all of the stimulation.

Jake was born 5 weeks early after a difficult pregnancy.  He had Colic very bad and was difficult to make happy.  We had always noticed that he was behind on speech and would get frustrated easily.  He began Speech classes through the school district when he was 3.  This helped some but not a lot. 

Jake was 4 years old when his sister was born.  He began to have violent outbursts.  This included banging his head on concrete, running away, kicking and throwing toys…all the time of holding his ears.  He even tried to hurt his baby sister.  A lot of people said he was angry at his new sister.  I felt it was more than this.  We also noticed the level of frustration he had with trying to learn soccer. 

When he began to attend Kindergarten, we began to see even more violent outbursts.  He would describe his feelings by having a God Brain or a Devil Brain.  He also could tell me how he felt by how many brains he had.  A 1000 brains meant he was overwhelmed.  He even asked me one night to change brains with him so he could sleep.  A 5 year old was asking for help!  During his Kindergarten year, he was sent to the Principal’s office several times for outbursts.  The school had to clear the classroom a couple of times due to his anger.  The strength he developed during these rages was uncontrollable.  I had him over my shoulder one time, he picked up a chair in the school office and threw it at a window.  He missed the window but I could not believe his strength.  There were many times that I would have to sit and hold him down so he would not run away.  Jake had no friends due to his behavior issues.  Parents were scared to have their kids around Jake.

During 1^st grade, we continued to have the same problems.  There was even a time when 6 people had to carry Jake out of church.  One guy rode home with me to care for Jake (who was trying to kick out the car windows) while I drove.  Once home, he continued his rage.  When he calmed down, he looked at me and said “Mom, I am tired of the Devil Brain.  Make it go away.”

I had found a Neurologist who finally listened to me.  He simply asked Jake to “take his finger and touch his nose”.  A task we all take for granted.  Jake could not do this.  The Neurologist looked at me and said “He has a learning disability.”  He cannot process what I am saying.  Finally, someone believed me.  There was no medicine to help Jake.  What were we to do?  Jake could not continue to live like this and neither could we.

During all of these years, I had family and friends tell me that Jake was undisciplined and that I “babied” him too much.  Even my husband hid from acknowledging there was a problem.  How could the little boy he always wanted have a problem?

Jake’s Neurologist suggested we try Neurofeedback.  What is that?  All Jake had to do was sit in a chair, play with a toy and let his brain and the machine do the rest.  Certain parts of his brain were hooked up with electrodes which were also hooked to the computer.  The brain would receive a small “beep” when the brain wave was where it was supposed to be.  It was a “beep” to retrain the brain waves. 

Jake started neurofeedback with one set of clinicians. It was not a good experience for Jake and taught me that finding an educated neurofeedback clinician is very important.  Jake had a negative reaction to neurofeedback with them. The doctor said they had tried to correct Jake’s brain too quickly. Once again I was told that Jake’s disability was my fault. 

I searched for someone else who could do Neurofeedback.  I found someone I believed I could trust.  I was very scared to try this again after the first mishap but she assured me that she would take things slow.  In the meantime, the school was upset with me for taking Jake off of his medications.  Now, they had nothing to help control him.

We saw small positive changes in Jake’s behavior within 6 treatments of the “slower” Neurofeedback.  His teachers also began to see the positive change in Jake.  Over the next year of treatment, Jake began to talk in correct sequence with his sentences and began to make friends.

In 2^nd grade, Jake began to verbalize his feelings and his “anger” fits began to subside.  We began to see another disability in Jake…he was struggling to write stories.  Jake kept telling the teachers and myself that he couldn’t write, but we all thought he was being lazy.  He continued Speech but could not get his thoughts on paper.  His teacher helped him with his class papers throughout the year.

In 3^rd grade, Jake began to play football.  This was a sport that he had never played.  We truly began to see his Processing Disorder.  He struggled to understand the plays.  Half way through the season, it was as though a light had come on in Jake’s brain.  He understood his position.  He began to recover fumbles and “sac” the quarterback.  He was verbalizing his feelings and had made lots of friends.  He had graduated from Speech class.  Jake’s hearing had also calmed down  and he participated in the UIL Music Memory competition in which he received a perfect score.  His writing ability was also tested and we learned that Jake does have a writing disability.  Jake began to get depressed and began to ask “Mom, why are things so hard for me?”  “Why am I different?”  To which I replied with love, “Because God loves you so much and wants what you are going through to help others.” Throughout these years we continued with occasional neurofeedback sessions and know this had an influence in these positive changes

Jake is now in 4^th grade and is enjoying his classes.  For the first time, he is not scared to write.  He knows he has difficulty and is working extra hard on it.

I have told many people about Jake’s struggles and triumphs.  I have told them how Jake was easily diagnosed as ADHD when in reality he was misdiagnosed.  Jake continues to receive Neurofeedback treatments about every 3-4 months just to make sure his brain waves are staying where they were trained.

Neurofeedback has helped Jake to live without medication for his disability.  It also helped to calm Jake’s brain waves down so that the real Jake could say “Hi.”  Jake is a very loving and kind hearted person.  He tries to please adults and loves his little sister.

Today, I have other parents and teachers question me about the difference in Jake.  What medication is he on?  They cannot believe that he is not on medication.  He was cured with Neurofeedback!  My child is free of lots of doctors and medication.

I thank God for Neurofeedback…A Cure Without Medication." (Mom of 4th Grader)