Born prematurely, Chris and Deborah Merlin's twin sons had significant learning and developmental disorders including aphasia, hyperactivity, and serious developmental delays. By the time the boys reached first grade, they were diagnosed with ADHD. Against their doctors' advice, the Merlins decided not to give their kids Ritalin.
In the first section of Victory Over ADHD: A Holistic Approach for Helping Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Deborah Merlin writes candidly about her and her husband's exceptional devotion to their sons.
Her story reads like a visit with a good friend, a mom detailing family life, telling of the boys' progress through each stage of their growing up years. The second part of Victory Over ADHD is made up of short chapters describing various aspects of ADHD and holistic medicine that the Merlins or others found useful in treating attention disorders.
The ADHD label describes a group of symptoms and tells nothing about what gives rise to them. The Merlins' did not question the diagnosis of ADHD. Intuitively, they knew the twins' hyperactivity and other behavioral disorders had identifiable causes that could be treated and cured.
While teachers and doctors were attributing the boys' hyperactive and other symptoms to ADHD, the Merlins recognized that the twins' language and other developmental disorders were contributing to their behavior. They were persistent about ensuring their sons received speech, behavior therapy, and any educational support they needed.
Along the way, the Merlins found the boys had infections and nutritional disorders which were triggers for their ADHD behaviors. The twins' health and behaviors progressed by working with diet, nutrition and other holistic approaches.
Merlin clearly describes the many treatments they tried, what worked, what did not. She provides a lot of in-depth information on the many types of testing which found some of the twins' nutritional and medical problems and how the boys improved when these were treated.
Despite still needing some minor assistance, the twins are now healthy, happy college students. Merlin shares her experiences in a way that will reassure others facing similar situations with their children.
She writes, "The most important lesson was learning to trust my instincts. I almost fell into the Ritalin trap, which would have harmed my boys, not healed them. Parents often know instinctively what's best for their children, but they need to learn to listen to their hearts instead of being blindly led by the pharmaceutical industry."
Victory over ADHD may leave the reader wondering how many children labeled with learning disorders and ADHD would recover if the focus of their treatment were on their health and learning disabilities. Deborah Merlin tells the reader what worked for her sons, showing how treatment must be tailored to the individual needs of anyone who develops ADHD symptoms.
For those who, like the Merlins, want to look behind the labels to find and resolve the underlying causes of attention problems, Victory Over ADHD is a good place to start.
Source:
Victory Over ADHD: A Holistic Approach For Helping Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Author: Deborah Merlin
Publisher: The Book Publishing Company
Resource:
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Zoe Langley - Zoe Langley is a writer living in Kentucky. She is a past winner of the Seattle Writers in Performance Award. She has a passionate ...
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