As a parent, you’ll do anything to help your child. It’s so painful to watch your son or daughter struggle. But, where do you go when it seems like you’ve tried everything? Unfortunately, Liz knows how that feels. She felt like she was losing her daughter, Isabella, who had been severely struggling with ADD symptoms at school.
Isabella was in third grade when she started to fall behind in her schoolwork. Initially, Liz took notice but didn’t want to overreact. It was only third grade. “By fourth grade, we knew there were definitely some issues,” Liz explained. “By the time we were changing schools, we knew there was more than an educational or behavioral problem.”
Liz and her husband spent the next year and a half doing everything they could to help their daughter. Isabella’s older brother helped with after-school efforts too. They tried tutoring, an educational therapist, and even ocular therapy. A local educational foundation evaluated Isabella and said the core challenge was her memory. The whole family worked on memory games with her.
When Hard Work Doesn’t Pay Off
“It wasn’t that Isabella wasn’t trying hard,” Liz said. The tutoring and therapy commitments alone were taking two hours a day, four or five days a week. Isabella worked so hard every day and still got D’s and mostly F’s in her schoolwork. Liz and her husband pulled their daughter out of all extracurricular activities; school seemed so much more important. But even that choice appeared to have devastating effects. “She was losing self-confidence. She was turning inward, doubting every move,” Liz said. “We were losing our daughter, and it was killing us.”
Then two different family friends heard about Isabella’s challenges. Both made the same recommendation: call Amen Clinics. Something rang true when Liz heard about SPECT scans. In a leap of faith, Liz scheduled a Full Evaluation. At the first consultation looking at Isabella’s brain SPECT scans, Liz and her husband were stunned. The front cortex of her brain looked like “her brain was on fire” due to its overactivity. Isabella’s psychiatrist explained that Isabella’s brain was quite literally exhausted. It didn’t know how to shut down, to calm itself—a vital task in the learning process.
Isabella’s psychiatrist spoke with her parents, describing Isabella’s particular form of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). ADD is the most common psychiatric challenge for children. However, conventional treatments often fall short in “classic” cases. The explanation for this is simple, according to Dr. Daniel Amen’s findings, there are
seven types of ADD, with each type requiring very different treatment.
Report Card Improvements
Isabella’s parents looked at their options and chose to begin treatment through exercise, dietary choices, and brain-focused supplements only. “Within three weeks, Isabella’s grades went from mostly F’s to C’s and D’s,” Liz said. “Within six weeks, she went to almost all C’s.”
At a follow-up appointment, the family decided to try two prescription medications that could further help Isabella focus while at school. They learned that Isabella’s challenge would not benefit from solely a stimulant medication; rather it would require specific medication to calm the overactive regions of her brain and another to activate the frontal cortex for focus.
Using minimal dosages of two different medications, and continuing the dietary and lifestyle choices, Isabella went through a transformation at school. “Within three weeks of being on prescriptions, Isabella became a B-student at a very distinguished private school,” Liz said.
Isabella is 14 now, an eighth grader with
top grades and involved in sports again and acts in school plays. Most importantly, she feels confident again and even ran for student body president.
Pinpointing Problems and Solutions
Amen Clinics brought Isabella and her family an accurate diagnosis, proven solutions, and hope. “They were able to pinpoint exactly what was Isabella’s problem,” Liz said. Through a whole-person approach, she has been able to become her very best—not only in school but in every aspect of her life. “It’s been unbelievable to watch the transformation. We’re very blessed.”
What can a Full Evaluation do for you or a loved one?
It’s time to stop guessing. Amen Clinics Full Evaluation of your biological-psychological-social-spiritual history including two
brain SPECT imaging scans (at rest and concentration), cognitive testing, and clinical assessment is designed to address your unique needs and offer targeted treatment options.
At Amen Clinics, we specialize in childhood learning challenges and ADHD. Our holistic treatment approaches are yielding transformative results. Call 888-288-9834 or
visit us online to schedule an appointment now. It’s time to open the door to a bright and hopeful future for your child and your whole family.
