My wife and I always knew that our youngest son Chris was very intelligent. But we also knew that doing homework and getting him to sit still at dinner was a very challenging ordeal. Chris attended a local public school in Flatbush, Brooklyn. When we spoke to his teachers about our perception that Chris seemed to have trouble concentrating, reading, and just plain sitting still, they told us he would grow out of it. We hoped they were right.

By the time Chris entered the third grade, we were exhausted. Chris’ condition had only gotten worse. It was at that time that we moved to Long Island. As a part of the local school’s protocol for new students, Chris and his older brother David were given a battery of tests by the school psychologist. He informed us that Chris had a rather serious expressive language disorder and needed to be in Special Education. We were devastated by the news. At the request of the school, we had Chris tested by a psychiatrist, and he was diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder with hyperactivity. Because of a history of ticks in my family, he did not recommend Ritalin, but instead wanted to put Chris on antidepressants, even though some children had died while taking these medications. We decided not to do the medication because we couldn’t inflict such potential harm on our son.

The Special Education teachers were wonderful but Chris continued to decline. He couldn’t fall asleep, he couldn’t get up in the morning, his stomach was always hurting, impulsive behavior was increasing (playing with matches), his joints began to hurt constantly, and severe allergies became an issue during the spring. Mary and I were alarmed at all of the symptoms. We decided to tell our pediatrician about the steady deterioration and get some answers. We did get answers of a sort. Tums were prescribed for the stomach upset and "growing pains" was the explanation for the increasing joint pain. We left the office confused and despondent.

Coincidentally, Mary was seeing a chiropractor for lower back pain. She recommended a fellow chiropractor who was on the cutting edge of alternative medicine. Our first meeting proved momentous. After taking Chris’ pulse and performing chiropractic manipulations and cranial adjustments, the chiropractor told us that our son was suffering from a bacterial infection that was affecting the functioning of his liver. This infection was causing the physical as well as the emotional and learning difficulties Chris was encountering. Chris was also suffering from energy blockages in the base of the head that needed ongoing treatment. He was taken off all sugars and starches and prescribed appropriate homeopathic medications. The results were immediate and startling. Chris fell asleep normally for the first time. He awoke feeling refreshed. His stomach complaints were gone. We began to hear reports from school that Chris was improving. Even homeworks were getting done without total confusion. Over time, Chris’ personality began to improve. We could see a real, loving young man peering out from under all the years of pain and hopelessness.

Chris saw the doctor every two weeks, then every three weeks, and now he sees the doctor once a month. He remains on his diet but with much greater flexibility. The cranial adjustments have continued. This year, at the annual Special Education meeting, the head of the program marveled at how well Chris was attending to all of his tasks. She said that Chris is a textbook case of how a child is supposed to improve. Chris has accomplished a great deal in the past year. He and the doctor have worked together as a wonderful team. To top it all off, on a career assessment test Chris took in school this year, do you know what career came up on Chris’ profile? That’s right, chiropractic.

By the grace of God we found a physician who was also a healer, who believed Chris could be cured by natural methods. We thank God that drugs were not necessary in Chris’ case. Today Chris is a healthy, successful student and a great person to be with. Our hope is that more parents will explore drugless, natural methods of dealing ADHD and other learning disabilities. The truth is there.

by Robert Oliva