Brain training helps Topeka child with ADHD

When Aaron Davis hears a beat his brain fires a reaction to his hands or his feet. When his parents, Richard and Brenda, see the mental to physical connection, they remember at one time the simple task was impossible. Richard says, "We get emotional. It's incredible, the difference."

A year ago, Aaron struggled in school, lacked social interaction, and seemed to be in a world of his own. Brenda says, "We were told he had a wheat allergy and he had a gluten allergy and to take all of that out of his diet. So we did that for a month and there was no improvement. Then we were told the natural food market has these wonderful vitamins and that will help. We tried that and nothing worked."

Doctors then told Richard and Brenda their son had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. The solution: medication. But Richard says, "He was still struggling in school, he was still behind."

Nothing made Aaron better. Just when the family had given up all hope, a friend suggested Interactive Metronome. A program that retrains the brain. Doctors say IM uses a repetitive exercise that changes or remaps neurons in a certain part of the brain resulting in a change in behavior. Brenda says, "The first time he went to IM, that night, we already saw a difference."

The benefits continued after every visit. Richard says, "His reading went from 28-percent in January to 73-percent in March."

Within months, Richard and Brenda's dreams for their little boy started to change. Brenda says, "He probably wouldn't go to college. He probably really wouldn't be able to hold down a decent job. He'd probably have to stay with us for the rest of his life. Now we're thinking, okay we need to start saving for college."

Lori Schmidt knows exactly how the Davis family feels. Her son faced similar issues throughout adolescence and that drove her to help others through IM. She says, "When you are afraid of your child being an adult child living at home and you see them succeeding, you just can't describe it."

The feelings shared by both families went from one extreme to another. But for Aaron, the feelings are a first. Richard says, "He's been happy before, but this is the first time that he's ever felt happy. It really is. He feels stuff now."

He also now plays kickball, interacts with friends, and even leads the other students in his group at school. Brenda says, "You pray for your child and you want them to be successful and this is the program. This really helped."