Ways To Treat ADHD Without Medication

Posted onJuly 23, 2021June 6, 2023AuthorBarbara B.

There are ways to treat ADHD without medication. New information coming forward now shows that there are alternative treatments for ADHD. It takes more effort than popping a pill. What I am talking about today are some daily brain exercises that are proven through a recent study at Harvard to reduce ADHD to the point that children in the study no longer met the criteria to be diagnosed as ADHD. And the best part, it was at-home exercise activities with their parents that did the trick.

Dr. Robert Melillo developed what is known as the #MelilloMethod, also known as the Brain Balance Method. He has thousands of case studies showing its success in his clinic and centers over the past 25 years. However, many were still skeptical of his method until Harvard University contacted him a couple of years ago to do an ADHD study at Harvard of its affects on ADHD children and teens. He gave his method to them. Furthermore, his program included at-home Interactive Metronome exercises as part of the treatment. Interactive Metronome are rhythm exercises where the child gets immediate feedback as to how close to the beat they are. These exercises together constituted the exercises for the study. The results follow.

Harvard University Study on ADHD Alternative Treatment

His method included 3 types of exercises as the at-home treatment:

Primitive Reflex Integration Exercises

Sensory exercises to the right hemisphere of the brain.

Interactive Metronome exercises (rhythm exercises)

They studied boys and girls ages 8-14 who were confirmed to have ADHD.

In just three and a half months of self-guided at-home exercises with their parents, the children improved dramatically. And 36% of the children scored 40%+ better in hyperactivity and inattention tests, making them no longer qualifiable as ADHD.

Harvard University Study on ADHD Results:

“This is a degree of improvement that we have not previously observed in children with ADHD unless they were receiving medications, and then only if they were receiving the correct medication at the optimal dose.” Pg2

“ Note that prior to treatment the subject was in the top 3-15% of most hyperactive individuals within their age range. Following treatment their activity measures were in the 29-65% percentile indicating that they were no longer clinically hyperactive and well within normal range.”

The Method for ADHD Without Medication

Dr. Melillo did not keep the method to himself, but put it all in the book Disconnected Kids and is constantly lecturing around the world. Other countries accept it more readily than the U.S. That is until the Harvard study published in 2019. It is now beginning to make traction here in the US.

So, I Trained with Dr. Melillo

After we used it for our own children, we were so passionate about its results, that I trained with Dr. Melillo directly. And, just this month certified as an Interactive Metronome trainer.

Learn More On My Pre-Recorded Webinar

I started an Instagram to publish short videos and pics of the exercises. Follow us to see video and pic examples of the exercises.

See other ADHD Treatments Without Medication on our blog.

ADHD Treatment Without Medication

Posted onJuly 7, 2020August 13, 2021AuthorBarbara B.

To find the right ADHD treatment without medication, you need to know a few things first. ADHD is a brain-based issue, it can be intensified by gut issues, environment, discipline methods and more. With that said, many parents choose to go a more natural or holistic method to avoid the stimulants Ritalin and Adderall. The results vary depending on the severity of the child and the diligence of the parents. But it has definitely been done successfully with many children. See the typical ADHD symptoms.

Our daughter has shown marked improvement with the natural methods that we have taken. So, let’s talk about what I have learned.

There is no one supplement that can reverse ADHD. There are many who claim to, but there is no way a supplement or herb can solve the overactive parts of the brain without some cognitive exercises to go along with it.

ADHD is a matter of several factors. It involves neurological wiring, gut health, early development and nutrition. The good news is that it can all be helped with at-home treatments which result in a reduction of the ADHD symptoms and issues. Some parents have seen complete reversal of ADHD. Here are some of the natural treatments that we have successfully used. Here are more ways to treat ADHD without medication.

Cognitive Exercises at-home

Studies have shown that children with ADHD have underactivity in the right hemisphere of their brain. This is coupled with higher activity in the left hemisphere. Because the left side of our brain is the activator and the right is mostly the inhibitor, there is no balance of impulse and impulse control. This is the case with their actions, social interactions, emotions, speech etc. Some simple brain activities done with the child at home can improve this imbalance remarkably and bring the right side up to balance with the left. This method was studied by Harvard University a couple of years ago and found to be very affective. We used this on our daughter and loved the results. Learn more about brain stimulation exercises for ADHD.

Pre-Recorded Webinar ADHD Cognitive Exercises

Coffee or Caffeinated Teas

They have found that stimulants have an opposite affect on ADHD children. Caffeine can actually help them calm and focus some. Ritalin is actually a powerful stimulant called methylphenidate, but can cause severe side effects and lose effectiveness over time. Caffeine works on the same principle, but on a much lower level.

Guarana Herb

Guarana herb can be found on Amazon and has natural stimulants in it. Studies show improved test scores for children who take it.

Probiotics

Part of the symptoms of ADHD are gut related. The brain under stimulates the digestive track which leads to food intolerances and constipation. The body reacts to the intolerance by creating inflammation. This includes inflammation in the brain which aggravates brain function and will make their behavior worse. In addition, it sometimes includes achiness or swelling in their joints, specifically their ankles and knees.

Primitive Reflex Exercises:

Primitive Reflexes are the special reflexes that develop in the brain stem before birth. Most of these Primitive Reflexes go away through the first year of life as higher functions of the brain and muscle control develop. If the reflexes remain, they interfere with the neurological organization of the brain which contributes to ADHD, behavioral, social, sensory and health problems. These remaining reflexes are unnoticed muscle movements in older children and adults. They are not normally noticed if one doesn’t know what to look for. The reflexes cause them to walk apelike or with an unusual gait. They are solved through exercises.

Supplements

Because of the gut issues, ADHD treatment without medication need to include added nutrients. However, many supplements cause more inflammation in their body. Dr. Robert Melillo understood this and created supplements specific for these ADHD kiddos.

Homeopathic Drops and Pills

I have tried some calming drops, they helped somewhat especially in her nighttime bath. Lavender and Chamomile oils are known for calming and relaxation.

Things to Avoid

There are some foods that kids with ADHD should stay away from. They have a very hard time digesting the larger chain molecules in gluten and dairy. This is usually a problem because they have very limited food preferences due to their sensory issues. They usually love foods with one or both of these. Such as mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, yogurt, ice cream etc. There are great gluten free, dairy free alternatives to these on the gluten-free isles of your supermarket, or a health food store.

Red and blue food dyes are not natural and have an almost immediate affect on them. My child shows immediate twitchiness and aggression after foods and drinks with red and blue additives.

Refined sugars and corn syrups are triggers. Watch out for regular table sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream and pretty much everything good. Try to find some fun alternatives for them with natural sweeteners. We use Agave to sweeten our daughter’s food as much as possible. In addition, there are candies with natural coloring and less refined sugars at most health food stores. If they are going to have some at a party, reduce the portion size.

Another trigger we found was peanut butter. My sister-in-law and I noticed a definite increase in ADHD type actions within a half hour of our ADHD kiddos eating peanut butter. Some theorize it is because they are GMO’d. I don’t know the cause, but the result is evident.

Keep a journal of what they eat and their behavior. You might find other triggers specific to your child.

Conclusion

ADHD treatment without medication can be a real racket. In a sea of conflicting information, you could spend thousands of dollars trying everything out there. For instance, they have proven that parents of ADHD children spend thousands more per year on their children than neurotypical kiddos. The best results I have seen come from gut health and the cognitive exercises. This isn’t a quick fix, but a steady win. Furthermore, both are affordable and can be done right at home.

How Primitive Reflexes Helped My Child’s ADHD

“Lyla is just really energetic.” This is what I though when Lyla was one year old. A year later, I just thought it was her young age. As she got older I noticed something was definitely different with her. Her ‘energy’ had turned into ‘wild energy’ and was interfering with her being able to sit long enough to color a picture or do things typical children at her age could do. She was having a hard time keeping friends, because she was so impulsive, bouncy and twitchy. Even her own sisters were trying to avoid letting her play with them because she couldn’t play appropriately for her age. “Don’t let Lyla in”, ‘Can you keep Lyla Out?”, “Lyla breaks everything”.

My heart broke for my sweet girl. I noticed she was getting a lot of rejection not only in the family, but also with other kids her own age, and I couldn’t really blame them. Other kids her age were mature enough now to set up little castles or villages and have story lines develop with their toys. Lyla was still making her dino eat and destroy all of their village. She couldn’t sit and have lunch with kids her age. Her food was always converted into lions or something that was destructive and annoying to the other kids. She also had a super sensitive pallet. She could taste something gross in anything I served. She seemed to have Hyper-sensitivity with her sense of taste.

However, she seemed to have an underactive sense of touch. She could run across the rocky weedy ground without a problem. She would get sores on her feet from the pokey ground but didn’t bat an eye at it. She acted like she didn’t even have feeling in her body.

She also couldn’t finish anything. She couldn’t hold eye contact. She couldn’t sit long enough for a bed-time-story. She couldn’t speak well, just a line of fast gibberish, instead of composed sentences. It seemed that everyone knew Lyla was ADHD before I could admit it. I finally realized something must be done. She wasn’t growing out of it. She couldn’t live a successful life with this.

At this time, I started to study neuroplasticity (the brains ability to rewire) and the cognitive exercises that help strengthen weak connections in the brain. I was also studying Primitive Reflexes and how they can interfere with normal neurological growth. You see, I had a Dyslexic son in high school, so I was very interested in learning everything I could about it. As I studied, I learned that the exercises were super easy and could be done at home. I also learned that they applied to other developmental disorders like ADHD, ADD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism etc.

I jumped right on it with Lyla. Doing the exercises we have here on our website with her. I also found that she had retained the Moro Reflex that is typical for kids with ADHD and causes too much cortisol and adrenaline to be produced, which keeps them in fight-or-flight mode. So yes, there are ways to treat ADHD without medication.

I was astonished to see how fast it made a difference. Within three weeks, Lyla finished her dinner one night and said “Thank You for dinner. It was delicious” My jaw dropper. Two full well composed sentences and a finished meal. Wow!

Later that month, at bed time, Lyla got her little blanky and said “I want to snuggle”. Again, I couldn’t believe my ears. She really sat there for 20 minutes that night, just snuggling and listening to a book. She started respecting peoples space more. Summer came and Lyla hurt her foot going outside with bare feet. She felt it, cried and had me get her a band-aid. Probably the first time a parent was glad to have a child cry over a hurty and need a band-aid.

Lyla is doing awesome now. She is so fun and outgoing. She has long term friends now. They are always the more energetic fun ones, of course. She can hold eye contact. She still struggles with impulse, but much less. She can feel her own body now and is very expressive with her ideas. She speaks fast, but has no problem composing her sentences. At the time I write this post, she is 9 years old. She does great in school and never gets bad behavior reports. She still has a lot of beautiful energy, but can keep it in check when she needs to.

10 Qualities of People with ADHD

Here at Solve Learning Disabilities, it is our mission to help kids with learning and attention issues become as happy and successful in school and life as possible. In doing so, we always like to focus on the positive! Kids with learning or attention issues are every bit as wonderful as children without. And even though we help your little one learn how to read better, or interact socially, etc., their sweet personalities remain the same. That is always our goal.

You may see some of these qualities in loved ones you know that have ADHD, or maybe they have different qualities you have noticed. No two people are the same.

Based off of my personal experience with my 10-year-old sister Lyla, I had so much fun writing this. ADHD has been a big part of Lyla’s life, and there have, definitely, been moments that ADHD has made life harder (learning to read, sitting still in a classroom all day, giving people personal space), but there have also been ways that it has made her who she is today. And we absolutely love that.

Adventurous

Never. And I mean never, have I met a kid so adventurous. ADHD gives kids have such a fun willingness to go on adventures and try new stuff. Sitting on the couch all day? No thanks! They’d rather be on the move.

Excited About Life

Whenever something fun is going on, whether it be going swimming or just dancing around in the kitchen, ADHD kids are down for it. They are excited about things to come. I love having people like this in my life. They liven me up and get me excited about all the wonderful things life holds!

Fun Loving

Lyla’s personality was always so black or white. She loved something, or she hated it. There wasn’t much in between. And one thing she always loved, was having fun!

Energetic

If you know anyone with ADHD, you can probably relate to this. They have all the energy in the world, something I wish that I had. From running around to telling a story, their energy is endless and infectious.

Un-Affected by Loud Noises

They love loud noises. When they’re in a noisy or chaotic environment, instead of being annoyed or irritated, they thrive. In fact, they are happy to contribute to the noise, lol. To them, it is just fun and they couldn’t love it more. That is such a useful quality to be able to embrace noisy situations.

Forgiving

Lyla may have been a bit impulsive, and angered easily, but she also forgave quickly. She didn’t have time to hold a grudge, nor the patience. A simple apology, and you were her best friend again. If they can keep that forgiving attitude as adults, they will be wonderful people to be around.

Risk Takers

Instead of sitting around thinking about whether they want to do something or not, they just do it. They are willing to take risks. They are willing to take that chance. If it’s a mistake, no problem. They will move on and try something else.

Passionate

We noticed with Lyla, when she loved something, she loved it more than anything. It would take all of her focus, she would think about it and talk about it nonstop. She was fully committed to loving it, even if it was just a new toy. She would tell you everything wonderful about it, and never tire of talking about it.

Persistent

If there was something she wanted or wanted to do, she would not give up until she got it. What a great quality! I know so many people that try something and if doesn’t happen perfectly for them the first time, they give up. However, kids with ADHD are prone to trying and trying and trying. I love people that don’t give up easily!

Intelligent

ADHD can often cause kids to have poor focus, or they may start a task and get side tracked by something else. But that is just because their brain is running a million miles an hour. They are so smart, how else would they be able to speak sentences faster than most of us can even keep up? They literally have to slow down their brain just to interact with the world around them. They aren’t being naughty kids, they’re just faster than the rest of us!

These are just ten qualities of so much more. ADHD may seem like a negative thing, but it isn’t. People with ADHD just function differently. They learn differently. And although they may have to work harder to pay attention in class, or sit still, they deserve all the love and support we have to give. Learn the other ways to treat ADHD without medication.

Next Article: ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder – Let’s cure it!

Also See: 8 Primitive Reflexes Every Parent Should Know About

ADHD Treatment Without Medication is also a great article for your studies.

For more information on Primitive Reflexes and how to integrate them, check out our Webinar or our Cards and Ebook.

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