EXERCISES NOT DRUGS Helps Student Overcome ADHD Challenges SPECIALNEEDSPARENTING william lubing "The teacher would put a piece of paper on the desk and tell the kids, 'Alright, do these 10 questions.' And he'd sit there after everyone else was done, still looking at his page," said mom Lisa Furness of her son Will. "It's hard to watch your child struggle through school." Will was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the second grade. He exhibited some of the classic symptoms for his diagnosis: reading, writing, and comprehension performance significantly lower than his peers, poor concentration, poor short-term memory, sometimes low selfesteem, clumsiness, and hyperactivity. The symptoms are typically associated with a diagnosis of ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Asperger's syndrome. Will, now 15, is a sophomore in high school. Between elementary school and high school Lisa said they went through "an evolution of different strategies" to help her son overcome his learning difficulties before finding a solution. "We tried different rounds of medication that really didn't work. He'd get all of the negative side effects without any of the good." After a year, Lisa took Will off of all medication for his ADHD. Will Furness Lisa said that poor teaching was not the reason for her son's problems in school. A flexible and responsive grade school helped Will. "We had him on an 'Ed' plan, called an IEP. They used different strategies and managed him well." Homework presented a serious problem for Will. "I paid for tutoring for years," said Lisa, "to get him through his homework." Then, Will's world fell apart in middle school. The tightly scheduled program, with seven different classes and different teachers, presented an organizational nightmare for him. "To have him come home and not understand his homework assignments created a nightly issue," she said. Unlike grade school, middle school may be more difficult for children with learning issues, such as Will's. Lisa was preparing to secure an advocate to help Will. Treatment without Medication "Then, I was driving in my car and heard an interview with someone from Dore Achievement Centers. They were talking about ADHD in children. Daily exercises were reversing the effects of ADHD," the Abington mom said. Lisa wrote down the 800 number, attended an open house, followed up on references, and read everything she could about the Dore program. Unlike medication, which treats the symptoms, the Dore program addresses the physiological source of the problem. Half of the cells in the brain are concentrated in the cerebellum, with a vast number connected to the cerebrum, or "thinking brain." Dore attributes most ADHD symptoms to Cerebellar Developmental Delay (CDD), a condition where the connectors that link the thinking brain (cerebrum) and the cerebellum are not fully developed. Consequently, the cerebellum, responsible for sensory integration, can't process information quickly enough. Exploiting a medical principle known as "neuroplasticity," the Dore exercise program stimuby lates the cerebellum to create new neural pathways, which speeds up the processing of information. Learning, language, emotion, and motor skills are all improved. Once the higher skill levels are attained, they are maintained, according to Dore research. Many Dore clients possess above average intelligence and many of those with typical symptoms are never officially diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities. Dore Beginnings Founded in the United Kingdom, there are now five Dore Achievement Centers in the United States, including one at 145 Rosemary Street, in Needham. The process begins with an evaluation at the center by medical doctors and specially trained program specialists. The program takes around 12 to 15 months to complete, with exercises tailored to individual clients. Special balance, sensory, visual/motor, and gross motor skill exercises are performed twice daily at home, typically consuming no more than five minutes per session. Cerebellar function is tested every six weeks at a Dore center. Appropriate exercises are then prescribed. In February 2004, Will began the Dore program. He was in eighth grade. "Every three years in Massachusetts they do a reevaluation of the IEP," said Lisa. "Around April or May of that year, he was retested. Something happened. ... They called me and said, 'Mrs. Furness, he does not need to be on an 'Ed Plan.' We are not finding him with any special needs.'" Lisa was amazed. "In the nonverbal testing, he typically fell in the lower than average or 'needs improvement' area. This time he tested in the high proficient rank, which was a huge increase, unheard of, really. And this was just three months into the program!" When Lisa showed the test results to Will's psychologist, "he said the results definitely had to do with the exercises." The school's psychologist also said the exercises possibly attributed to Will's improvement. Independent research confirms that results like Will's are not unusual. Using the Dore method, reading progress typically improves at three times the normal rate, with comprehension improving at five times the usual rate. Attention symptoms improve dramatically. Significant improvements in coordination are often seen. As the year went by, Lisa saw continual improvement. Will then started high school. "There was a big summer reading project," Lisa recalled. "And he procrastinated as usual. But when he was put to the gun to read his book and to write his essay, he did it with the smallest effort I've ever seen. This was a kid who couldn't write a paragraph in the seventh grade. And he wrote that paper in less than an hour!" While the word "exercise" may seem like drudgery, Lisa said it is no big deal. "It's kind of fun in a way," she said. Around four minutes per session is usually all it takes for Will to complete his exercises. Lisa's 6-year-old son is showing signs of ADHD and is being evaluated. "Knowing what I know now, I will not put my 6-year-old on Ritalin, ever." On Will's last progress report he earned five A's and two B's. Lisa's reaction? "I think it's because of the Dore program, I really do." For more information, call Dore Achievement Centers toll free at 866-784-4377 or visit www.dorecenters.com for complete with research results and an in-depth program description.