Most of them had not had those symptoms diagnosed, although some had been labelled as suffering from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), dyslexia, dyspraxia or, in a few cases, Asperger’s Syndrome. As a consequence of that television programme, many of those people have now had their lives totally transformed.
The second response to the documentary was from the learning difficulties industry offended by the documentary maker’s claims of ‘a revolutionary breakthrough’ in the treatment of dyslexia and the possibility of a cure. When used, cure is a word that seems to cause great offence to many professionals and for this reason we have always chosen to avoid using it. But the fact is the drug-free exercise-based programme we have developed is now delivering amazing results, and research says that the results seem permanent – the question is as to how best those results are described. Is ‘cure’ the best word to use?
Families that have to live with the symptoms of learning difficulties every day would love to have a solution for them, but up until now they may not have been aware that one may exist. Why is that? Well, most of those with symptoms of learning difficulties are brighter than average – behind that mask of symptoms that is. But, because the underlying cause of these problems has been misunderstood, virtually all treatments or programmes developed to deal with them up until now have had only mediocre impact. Thus, our life-changing programme presented quite a threat to that industry.
The fact is we are not a threat. There are two aspects to the process of learning – the first is a physiological one; the brain must have the ability to learn – that is what we work on. The other aspect is the process of ‘teaching’, and of course that is what teachers (and parents) do every day. For learning to be possible, both are needed. So, what we are doing is repairing the hole in the bucket; teaching is filling that bucket.
I am writing this at a time when it has just been announced in the US that many prescription drugs provided to treat ADHD sufferers must now have a black box on their label, warning of potential harmful side-effects. So it will be a great relief to families to know that the effectiveness of this exercise programme on ADHD is quite remarkable. Research has shown it to have twice the effectiveness of drugs, with no side-effects and when it is complete – typically after a year – it is permanent. How much better to spend five minutes twice a day for a few months to have a long-term solution not just to attention and hyperactivity issues but to unlocking the patient’s underlying potential, too. There’s no contest!
Of course, sadly, there are some who have very complex needs that the methods described in this book can’t always help. However, a startling one in six of the population is hampered by conditions we believe can be helped, and with the size of the problem it will ultimately require the resources of governments so that it reaches everyone who needs it.
But how long will this take? And will those with vested interests make sure its impact will be held up with the consequence that another generation will needlessly suffer? Will this paradigm shift take as long to be brought into use as penicillin did, for example, before it is accepted? And was Trevor McDonald’s right to raise the suggestion that this might, in time, lead to a cure?
The fact is, the results are amazing and, while what we share with you is still a theory, the science behind the outcomes is increasingly well understood. The need, too, is a desperate one and personally I care less about which word is used. Instead, I will focus all my energies on getting this wonderful hope and help to those who need it, fast.
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SUSIE’S STORY – MY DAUGHTER WITH DYSLEXIA AND ADHD
(ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER)
Surely, there is no worse feeling in the world than having your child tell you that she does not want to go on living. As I stood by my 25-year-old daughter’s bedside in hospital, where she was recovering from her third suicide attempt, I remember feeling utterly helpless. I felt lonely, desperate and useless. I also felt anger towards the Establishment for not having the answer to her problem.
Like so many parents in the world, I had a child who suffered from a learning problem. Looking back, my greatest regret is my lack of understanding of the condition when she was growing up. At the time, I just could not believe that something could go into a person’s head and not stay there. I had never experienced that myself and my other children picked things up with great ease. Because I could not understand her problem, I was not there for Susie in the way she needed me to be. Now I realise how she felt, I will never get over the guilt.
At this point, it must be stated that the problems that Susie had were considerably more severe than many of the people who were to go through the programme we have developed. Most of the people we have helped over the last few years have displayed considerably milder symptoms than the ones Susie had. The reason I want to make this point clear is that it would be a great shame for parents to read my daughter’s story and assume that, because their child may not be affected by learning or attention difficulties as severely as she was, this programme is not for them. Indeed, Susie is an extreme example of the type of person who comes to us. Nevertheless, if it had not been for her, the whole programme would never have existed.
LIVING WITH A LEARNING OR ATTENTION PROBLEM
The more I come to understand about what Susie was going through, the more I look back in anguish at how she must have felt. For her, each day was a nightmare. When she got up in the morning all she could think about was the prospect of going to school and how she felt different and inferior to the others around her. In her lessons, she would constantly make all kinds of mistakes. She seemed to be unable to grasp simple concepts, learn from them and mentally develop like the other students.
If she ever did manage to learn anything one day, by the next morning it would have vaporised from her mind, and she would be back to square one. I remember clearly trying to teach Susie simple three- and four-letter words, and she would just look back at me with a blank expression; she could not take it in. It was as if something was wrong with the wiring in her head, stopping her from retaining anything. One day, we spent hours going over her four times table until eventually she seemed to have got it. However, the next morning at breakfast, I gave her a little test and she did not have a clue.
I used to feel extremely frustrated, but also very puzzled about her seeming inability to learn. In some circumstances, she was able to run rings around me. I could see she had a creative mind, which showed itself in all sorts of ways. For example, she would often say something highly intelligent, which would surprise me to the core. However, the next day if I asked her about it, she would not be able to remember what she had said. It was almost as if she had found a way to manipulate her own IQ, as if she could turn it on – or off – at will.
Of course, I now know that this was not the case. Just as I was frustrated and did not know what was going on, so was Susie equally frustrated and confused. The difference was that she had to live with that frustration. Although I was really worried about her, at least I could have a respite. I could go to my job and escape from it. She had to deal with the fact that schoolwork was impossible, organising herself was impossible, completing any task was impossible. She was not simply failing academically; in social situations, she also faced huge obstacles.
When Susie was growing up, she had communication problems. This was largely down to the fact her verbal