Guest Post - Healing ADHD & Asperger’s Without Hurting

Before I became "Nutrimom", I was like any other food allergy mother. But I had a stroke of luck and fate when my son was diagnosed with food allergies- I was fortunate enough to be working for a medical doctor who used a nutritional approach for parents who did not want to use traditional medicines for their children's behavioral and developmental disorders- she used nutrition. I saw miraculous changes first-hand and to this day, it inspires me to tell anyone else whose child might benefit from it. This is why I chose to share Jenn's story.

In 2009, at age 3 ½, the my son Evan was diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) along with an Attention Deficient Disorder, OCD accompanied by motor and speech Apraxia, and a sensory processing disorder.  His speech was unintelligible and he had many global developmental delays. As Evan retreated into his own silent world and became more anxious and full of rage, I grew desperate to find someone or something to help him.  Like most parents of autistic children, I spent much time and effort trying traditional behavioral and medical treatments, which provided very little hope.  As a psychotherapist, I knew the next step would be medication, but didn’t want, to expose her son to the potentially devastating side-effects, which included increased obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) depression, social withdrawal, paranoia, impulsiveness, tics, seizures, and increased violent behavior. I had a strong feeling that there must be a better way… and found it!

A naturopathic physician tested Evan and started us on the road of natural healing.  I discovered Evan had numerous food sensitivities, which were addressed with diet modification, nutrient therapy, homeopathy, osteopathic care, chiropractic care and acupressure.  They addressed bowel and gut inflammation and toxicity issues, gut permeability, hypoglycemia, adrenal fatigue, and got to the root of all of Evan’s nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, they discovered some underlying genetic mutations that were preventing Evan from correctly metabolizing certain nutrients that directly affect brain health.

After treating Evan bio-medically, and with other healing practices we witnessed such a tremendous improvement in all areas of Evan’s life. Today, Evan is a happy and well-adjusted 8 year old. He is able to stay on task and presents less carelessness. He has less difficulty listening to and following directions, and no longer seems to get as distracted by background noise. He listens to his teachers and responds appropriately when asked questions. He is able to retain information and speaks more clearly to convey his ideas.

Evan talks to strangers in waiting rooms and has whole conversations. He is less anxious and no longer grunts and screams, throws toys, hits others, has mood swings, or throws himself into fits of uncontrollable rage. He also copes better with changes in routine and frustrating situations. Loud noises and uncomfortable clothing no longer bothered him.  His pre-kindergarten treatment plan included a communication device to help Evan to write and communicate. However, when Evan started kindergarten he no longer needed such a device. His fine motor skills significantly improved. He was also able to communicate clearly and express his thoughts and ideas in a sequential way.

Evan is now a confident little boy who is eager to join in group activities. His motor planning ability has jumped from extremely disordered to barely noticeable.  After biomedical treatments began there was a significant increase in his imaginative play, and although not perfect, he shows greater independence in daily activities of living.  He is making eye contact more often and now greets his friends at the playground. He no longer enters into a trance-like state. He no longer detaches himself from the world.

It has become my mission to reach out to the millions of parents who struggle with whether or not to medicate their children. I started a Facebook page called, Healing ADHD & Asperger’s Without Hurting to start the conversation and get the information out quickly.

Healing without Hurting will be available in stores on November 13, 2014, and I strongly believe it will be a huge asset to every parent who has a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, motor and speech apraxia, Sensory Processing Disorders, and any Autism Spectrum Disorder.

About the Author Jennifer Kozek, LPC, NCC is an accomplished licensed psychotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience treating clients with an array of health disorders including Asperger’s, depression, anxiety, OCD and ADHD.  In addition, she began consulting and blogging with thousands of moms through social media to teach them about alternative and natural solutions for healing autism spectrum disorders. Since the creation of her page on Facebook called, “Healing ADHD & Asperger’s Without Hurting,” Kozek has amassed a following of over 100,000 weekly visitors, who turn to her for guidance and support as they desperately search for help for their children. For more information, please visit Jenn's site at www.healingwithouthurting.com