Information - ADHD: a mothers experience

Neuro-Linguistic Learning Center

Helping Children, Teens and Adults Succeed in the 21st Century

ADHD: A Mother’s Experience

In 2004, my oldest son, Teddy, a very bright and precocious fourth grader, was having more and more difficulty with school. He could spell only about 20% of his test words correctly. He hated reading and writing. In the summer of 2005, he was tested and was diagnosed as having Orthographic Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

As a responsible parent, I immediately enrolled him with an experienced tutor to help him with his “learning disability”. But after 6 months of tutoring he had made little headway. He could still only spell 50% of his words correctly. He hated reading and writing. His self-esteem was declining and he had sunk in to a deep depression. His counselor of two years could only suggest that he be evaluated for medication.

I was desperate. I knew I had a loving, intelligent child and I knew he was falling fast. I disliked the idea of putting my son on drugs but I knew I had to do something. It was just about this time that I found the El Dorado Hills Neuro-Linguistics Learning Center.

At the Learning Center, I met Gerald Hughes and he first explained to me that dyslexia need not be looked upon as a disability. Quite the contrary, the skills exhibited by many dyslexics are exactly the skills exhibited by some of the most brilliant and creative people in our history, including Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney and Leonardo da Vinci.

He explained that the symptoms of Dyslexia are not the result of brain damage or mental disability. The difficulties in reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, etc., are generally the result of a unique “disorientation” experienced by most dyslexics. This disorientation is actually a natural and useful problem-solving strategy when used in the appropriate context. He also explained that many of the common symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are also the result of this internal disorientation.

After enrolling in the Neuro-Linguistic Learning Center’s Visual Orientation Program, my son went from 50% accuracy in spelling to 100%. In the following eight weeks, his reading and writing jumped two grade levels. Virtually all signs of depression disappeared and his ability to focus and pay attention in class increased dramatically. He was less stressed and his confidence and self-esteem returned. He even began to enjoy school and learning.

As for me, I enrolled in the received Sensory Integration Program which enabled me to overcome my lifelong difficulty with numbers (dyscalculia) as well as my terrible sense of direction. My sister was able to overcome her fear of bridges and heights (another common side effect brought on by the internal disorientation typical of Dyslexia).

I cannot convey in words what the Neuro-Linguistic Learning Center has meant to our family. Homework is no longer a battle. My children and I have an entirely new basis for understanding and communicating with each other. It’s as if we have been given a new life.— Jennifer Means