A Book called Stopping ADHD

I've read a book called Stopping ADHD.  It claims that many symptoms of ADHD are due to a reflex in our bodies that we have as a child that help us to crawl and to walk ultimately.  If a child walks early (many children with ADHD or ADD are very intelligent and learn to walk early) that this reflex stays with you.  The authors state that a child must crawl at least 6 months and in the proper way or that this reflex will control them, urging them to stand up, creating uncomfortable feelings while they sit, etc.  These feelings, the authors claim, cause a person to be distracted.  I personally think that there is more to it than just a discomfort.  I believe that a person's blood flow to their brain is somehow affected also. 

They did a scientific study in a school with the exercises that they use to treat ADHD and the teachers were begging for the control group to be given the same exercises, the response was so good.  These professors do not ask you to come to their clinic (although that is an option) They give the directions for thier exercises right in the book.  It is reasonably priced and it seems worth a try to me. 

Has anyone had any experience with this book, or this theory?  I would like to hear some feedback.

Thanks.

Hey!  guess what!! I just went to a play with my sister and Mom and I could sit comfortably through the whole thing!  Two hours without squirming around!!

I am dx inattentive ADD, but  I used to squirm.  I sat on my legs, I wiggled around.  I was uncomfortable in a chair. 

These exercises have worked wonders for me.  I was amazed that I could sit through the whole play without being uncomfortable.

I hope they can help others too.

I think it is too soon to tell. However, he did have some real good days at school.

  We will keep doing the exercises...ds has gotten used to it and  does not seem to mind.

[QUOTE=galagirl]I just ordered this book.  It sounds like quackery but I'm pretty desperate and willing to try anything.  Given that I had a leg brace as a baby and didn't hardly crawl, and walked at about 10 months.... intrigued me enough to get it.  I did everything early so my parents thought nothing of it.  I knew my ABCs and could sing and talk at 16 months.  I wonder if it all warped my little growing brain, lol.[/QUOTE]

galagirl,

I thought it sounded like quackery when I first saw it too, on the shelf at Barnes and Noble.  I actually picked it up so I could disprove it to myself.  I was a little ticked off to see someone so blatantly claiming on the cover of their book that they could stop ADHD when no medical doctor could do it.

Then I began to read it and to research as much as I could.  I wanted someone to disprove it to me.  Then it really started to make sense to me.   I actually called the author and talked to her. 

I finally tried the exercises and I have been amazed.  I am still doing the exercises.

I think it is too bad that most people don't take the time to give it a good read.  I am so happy that more people on this board are actually giving it a try. 

I hope it will help them, and you too.  I sure has helped me.

They don't have it at the local mini-library - but I've requested they transfer a copy from the nearest that does - Calgary.  I'll let you know my honest opinion once I read it.

I try very hard never to pooh-pooh something until I've chewed on it substantively for a while.  I promise all my friends (and enemies LOL) to give this an honest shot.  I admit I don't know everything - hell it may even help!

I won't give up my meds though unless it works at least as good.  We'll see.

Thanks for being informative and not inflammatory anni.  The trolls need to see your posts and learn.   Sadly - I give it a snail's chance in a french restaurant but you can dream.

Glen,

Thanks for your comment.  I do try to not offend.  I'm glad you are open minded.  You beat all them trolls by a mile!!!

Someone once told me that nothing would be if it wasn't a dream first.

I don't blame you for not wanting to give up meds.  They worked for me too!  I was a totally different person on meds.  (my stepson liked me better off them!  I didn't make him clean as much!)

My meds wore off and the side effects of a higher dose bothered me a lot.  I'm glad I found this book.  I'm just trying to spread what worked for me.  It seems a shame to me to keep the info to myself.  It seems just wrong, actually.

These exercises may not work for everyone.  The book claims they work for 75% of all ADHD dx.  When I talked to the author on the phone, she said no one has ever asked for a refund that went to her clinic.  So I think it's worth spreading the word. 

At least if it is a fraud and I am totally fooled by it, you will all let me know!!!

I would not think of you as a troll - or even troll-ish.  You say "there is an option" - you give it then wait for people to come to you.  Trolls say "NO NO you are bad bad people - as a matter of fact you are just sick in the head but not ADHD!!".  No alternatives just bad bad bad.

75 percent seems high - but hey all books are going to make the sunny days even sunnier.  I'm willing to take a chance as the only thing I lose is time which I have in large amounts.  Not like I'm making laws or curing cancer!

Placebo effect goes a long way - even if it only makes you feel a bit better - hey that's what we all want!

For me - the meds were as close to a miracle as I can fathom.  For others - well it's not so much is it? We all get somewhere between 0 percent and 100 percent success and that's just life.

I'm just glad you are here, you are happy and you are my friend.

Thanks, Glen

I always enjoy reading your posts,  you bring an intelligence to everything you write. 

I'm glad you are here too and that you condsider me your friend!! Ditto!

Interesting, because I've always likened my condition to feeling compelled to drive my car (which is really an automatic, like everyone else's)  as if it were stick-and-clutch.  Kind of like a kid who feels compelled to the sensory-overkill of walking when he should be crawling.

If the road to "normalcy" were 10 steps high, I've found that non-medical lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise, rest)...toward which this book is a contribution provide the easiest least-prone-to-complications progress.  I flew up the first 5 steps by getting standard diet/exercise/rest "religion".  Amino-acid (L-tyrosine) supplementation, took me up, say, two more steps--and I'm hopeful that an herbal concoction (native remedies' ADHD drops) will get me to the eighth.  Special-types of exercise (and INNER-cise, such as yogic breathing/meditation) and what you describe in this book have the potential to help one move his own staircase.   I'll order it from Amazon and try to incorporate it into my evolving regime.

Here's the Amazon-link to that book...seems very worthy of a look and a try

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1583331972/qid =1119963577/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7528935-7831340?v=glance&a mp;s=books

my dd started doing these exercises when she turned 5 - that was 5 years ago.. she walked at 9 months and did very little commando crawl - tummy crawl, and very little normal crawl.. i stopped doing the exercises with her about 3 months into the program after i saw changes in her.. i think its time to start the exercises again.. my dd went to a centre which taught her to do it (cost was minimal) and they worked with a range of kids - adhd, autism, kids with dyslexia etc.. the results from what i heard and saw were outstanding but it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort on the parents part..

Thanks so much for your replies.  I like abright1's reply!  That is how I feel, also.  I really like your comparison to steps.  I feel like the first time I knew I had ADD was my first step.  Then each time I've tried something new, a next step.

Daniel's Mom, Ginko has worked for me, too!  I find that with Adderall or Ginko, that the effect only lasts for about 6 months for me, then it wears off.  So, if this reflex theory is true, the wearing off of medication makes sense.  The crawling theory holds true for me.  When I was a baby, I had pigeon toes and had to wear casts on my legs and shoes with a bar between them during the crawling months.  I used to crawl around pulling myself along with my arms only. Then I went straight to walking when I got all that off my legs.    So, to me this theory is so interesting. 

I appreciate all of your responses.  Keep them coming!

Thanks for the feedback.  Funnily enough, Ginkgo Biloba is a main ingredient in native remedies' ADHD formulation.

Regarding the stairstep analogy...keeping our eyes on the goal...the landing of the 10th step helps, but we expect plateaus (treatments lose their effectiveness...this is natural, our hair gets "tired" of the same shampoo eventually, and we have to cycle thru a couple favorites!) and stepbacks (we fall off the wagon!...brush off and get back on).  We may never get all the way but the eye on the goal and the realistic expectations it gives us for new treatments can be very helpful.

With this model we know that no one thing will run us up to the top, so we don't abandon something that is working and jump onto the next cure-all candidate with equally unrealistic expectations.  And we realize that the biggest gains come easiest at the beginning (kind of like the way an athlete's performance-improvements come at the expense of increasingly-greater effort).  

So far,  for me, my progress up the accessible 10-step ramp of progress

*standard diet/exercise/rest changes +5

*L-tyrosine amino-acid powder +2

*hopefully, the Ginkgo+other herb tincture (Native Remedies' ADHD formula) +1

*the rest of my life I'll be trying to consolidate these gains and keep my eyes open for the occasional opportunity to nudge up the ramp by fractional steps.  

7-plus-and-on-my-way-to-ten is just fine for now...I'll resist the seductive/pitfall-laden pharmaceutical approach...I think my kidneys and liver, and synapses will thank me in the long run.

Everyone's path, what works, and how well, etc. is different, because everyone's physiology, neuro-chemistry, etc... is different.  We must each manage our path up our ramp.

abright1,

I really like your insight.  I think you are right in trying natural things.  I have tried both and I am looking forward to the day when I can live with my ADD and be happy with my failings.  I have learned to laugh at many of the things I do that are a result of this disability.  

I have tried medication also.  I am trying a new medicine right now, I'm on day 3 of trying it.  It is Concerta.  I found the first day, after a half a year without medication was tough.  I felt sick and suddenly tired when it wore off.  The next day I ate differently.  I used Dr. Amen's advice for what kind of diet I should eat and stuck with a low carb diet all day the second day.  I felt so much better and got a lot done.  I still forgot to pick up my son from work and he had to call me.  But I take all these things with a grain of salt now.  I know my limitations and I rely on God a lot more when I have problems.  I feel my ADD is a blessing in many ways and I want to turn it into my strength in my life, work with it, not fight against it.

I think attitude is sooooo important in life.

Thanks so much for your insight.

I went to the Amazon site that was listed above for the book.  It is on sale for 10.95 I think.  Anyway, I went to the review section and one person's review was worth reading.  Here it is . . .

"After many therapies, medications, and exercises, we have finally found the underlying cause of our son's ADHD. This book clearly explains what some children miss in their early development. Then it shows you detailed exercises that can cure the problem, not just treat the symptoms! Although the exercises require a commitment, we saw results after only one week! At the end of the 8 month program, we had a "normal" child who was able to focus, sit still, and function completely typical for his age without medication! WONDERFUL!"

There were other reviews, too.  All positive of course.  Amazon probably won't list the negative ones, but who knows. 

I thought I would list the website for this book and the clinic.  You can go to www.stoppingadhd.com

They have some good information on the site, but the book gives so much more.

hi i just got this book off of ebay recently...still need to find the time to read it....im currently reading "ritalin free"..cuz currently my daughter is on her 2nd day of homeopathic medicine...shes doing good so far but they said it will take some time and dietary changes and consistency , which i can handle to make her life better as soon as im done w/ my book that im reading , i will definitely read the "stopping adhd" one...

oh my, this never ends, I have to start making a list to give to my doc (to back up my need for higher doses )....I had braces on my legs for the same reason...I am incommunicado with my family though and could never have asked them if I crawled...now I remember I would have had the braces...  I remember seeing pics of me in them and the horrible big shoes I had to wear for so long… I can faintly remember...awful as far as the other kids

I'd forgotten about the bar...I'll take a look at the book...

Thanks so much
for your replies.  I like abright1's reply!  That is how I feel, also.  I really like your comparison to steps.  I feel like the first time I knew I had ADD was my first step.  Then each time I've tried something new, a next step.

Daniel's Mom, Ginko has worked for me, too!  I find that with Adderall or Ginko, that the effect only lasts for about 6 months for me, then it wears off.  So, if this reflex theory is true, the wearing off of medication makes sense.  The crawling theory holds true for me.  When I was a baby, I had pigeon toes and had to wear casts on my legs and shoes with a bar between them during the crawling months.  I used to crawl around pulling myself along with my arms only. Then I went straight to walking when I got all that off my legs.    So, to me this theory is so interesting. 

I appreciate all of your responses.  Keep them coming!

I was also wondering what these exercises are like.  The OT has given us several exercises to do with our child.  But our son did not enjoy doing  them with me at home. I put him in Gymnastics and many of the exercises he does there are the same as what the OT suggested.  These are basically balancing exercises, wheelbarrow walk, crab walk, jumping jacks, various other exercises to strengthen arm and leg muscels.  Lifting body on parallell bars, wall climbing, climbing and swinging on rope etc,etc.

This is why I was also wondering what kind of exercises this book suggests.

Pls let us know. 

Thanks 

These exercises are all crawling ones.  You rock for a couple of weeks, like a baby would rock back and forth, then you crawl with added resistance.  You need a partner.  You have to crawl in the correct position with your feet pointing back, your hands flat and your head up.  

 The exercises are uncomfortable for me. Like I said in my earlier post, I didn't crawl as a baby, I had casts on my legs.  I can tell you that these exercises are uncomfortable,  but it is just crawling! 

Anyway, the book is worth the read.  It is only $15.00. It might even be available in local libraries.  It lists all the exercises that you need in the book.

I would love to get anyone's feedback who have tried this method before or who plan on trying it.  It seems to be helping me, but I'm not consistent!!! I get so distracted!!

I would love to get anyone's feedback who have tried this method before or who plan on trying it.  It seems to be helping me, but I'm not consistent!!! I get so distracted!!

What I find interesting is that alot of parenting websites and information is that Crawling is NOT a milestone in child development anymore.  They say that Many kids do not crawl at all, they go straight to walking or they will start walking shortly after learning to crawl.

Are we raising a whole generation who'll have ADD if this is true?

I know my son has only been crawling a few months and I don't think he's going to wait much longer before he's walking. 

if anyone out here finds any verifiable info on this topic I would love to hear about it. I also had the braces/bar boots....I had a lot of problems with "growing pains" in my legs maybe 11 to 13/14, I would lie awake at night and cry and who knows what... maybe wail, also I never walk in a straight line (people always pointing this out...peeved me off) and sometimes just walking I feel like my legs would just go off in diff directions if I didn't concentrate on walking straight?? Of course, HATE SITTING... always have the urge to put my feet up or twist them around my chair...can only sit well when hyper focused on something Anyone else experience this stuff or other related....?

Here is a link to a research paper that supports this theory.

http://www.internationalsped.com/documents/(3)TaylorADHD.doc

I am sorry that this link does not work.  Here is the link that works, I hope.

http://www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com/articl es.cfm?y=2004&v=19&n=1

You have to scroll down and find the article that is titled as follows.  It is the third article on that page.  Sorry for the bad link above.  Some people couldn't get to it.

Here is the opening of the article:

PRIMITIVE REFLEXES AND ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER: DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF CLASSROOM DYSFUNCTION

Myra Taylor

Stephen Houghton

and

Elaine Chapman

The University of Western Australia

The present research studied the symptomatologic overlap of AD/HD behaviours and retention of four primitive reflexes (Moro, Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex [TLR], Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex [ATNR], Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex [STNR]) in 109 boys aged 7-10 years. Of these, 54 were diagnosed with AD/HD, 34 manifested sub-syndromal coordination, learning, emotional and/or behavioural symptoms of AD/HD, and 21 had no (or near to no) symptoms of AD/HD. Measures of AD/HD symptomatology and of the boys’ academic performance were also obtained using the Conners’ rating scale and the WRAT-3, respectively. Results indicated that, in general, boys diagnosed with AD/HD had significantly higher levels of reflex retention than non-diagnosed boys.  Results also indicated both direct and indirect relationships between retention of the Moro, ATNR, STNR and TLR reflexes with AD/HD symptomatology and mathematics achievement. The pattern of relationships between these variables was also consistent with the notion of the Moro acting as a gateway for the inhibition of the other three reflexes.

I think that since the book came out, researchers have taken an interest in the theory and so have investigated it. 

The book actually lists 6 pages of references in the back.  I guess that if I had the time, I could look up some of them.

Here are a couple of them

O'Dell, N. A study of the relationship of Bender resisisted exercises to the symmetric tonic neck reflex and to achievement test scores. PhD. diss., Purdue Univeristy (1973).

________. Normal and abnomal development: The influence of primitive reflexes on motor development. Springfield, IL: Chalres C. Thomas; (1972).