Dore Talk

Hi

My son is 9, has ADHD and has been doing the DORE programme for 13 months (it's been patchy in places). Trying to maintain the focus you need for Dore with a child who has ADHD is enough to drive anyone to the edge!! I won't reiterate how we too have lost our way without the assessments as this has been covered before on other posts.

I have read some of the success stories both on the website and the forums and they are very positive to hear. However, a great majority seem to be focussed around children who have Dyslexia or Dyspraxia - my son has neither of these.

The Dore programme was sold to us on the basis that the symptoms are very similar, but I do now feel that the results or the measurement for success will manifest itself very differently in a child with ADHD from the improvements shown with Dyslexia or Dyspraxia.

As you can gather, I am seeing very little improvement - other than him just being a year older and 'wiser' - and would like to know what, and to what degree the improvements can be.

Does anyone have any success stories to share about their child who specifically only had ADHD, to give me some hope that this programme IS as effective and relevant for this type of learning difficulty?

Thanks

Morganlouis 

Hi morganlouis - my son Harry completed Dore recently after nearly 2 years on the programme. He was diagnosed with ADHD but had many traits of dyspraxia/dyslexia. At 13 months, I still felt we had more to gain from the programme, but now we're finished, I am still frustrated with him at times, although he has come a long way since starting Dore. I don't believe his problems with ADD will ever go away, but he has improved immensely. He now has the ability to retain information and is learning, but obviously has a lot of catching up to do. It is easy to miss the small things that improve whilst going through the programme - with Harry, progress was very slow, but steady. I have a private tutor that specialises in learning difficulties and he is doing well. Harry also does karate and boxing which help with his co-ordination and at the end of last summer, his karate teacher approached me to say he was working hard and seemed suddenly to be progressing well. He is doing another karate grading tomorrow morning, so will report back later on how he gets on! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Hi Morganlouis,

My son is 8 and has been on the programme for just over 14 months now. His main diagnosis is ADHD for which he takes concerta (mainly to keep him in school) and has 1-1 support at school for most of the day. I was always concerned about his reading and at our first Dore assessment I was told he has mild dyslexia that is made more severe by his attention problems.

I wish I could give you a really positive message but from my experience the reading has improved but without his medication (and even with on some days) most of his ADHD symptoms/behaviours are still evident. I too have the problems of getting him to concentrate on the exercises and like you am some days nearly sent "over the edge". One positive is that he is able to now manage on a reduced dose of concerta, we are hoping he can stop it in the future but time will tell on that one.

I was hoping to be coming to the end of the programme soon but recently we are back to virtually all exercises marked as hard. I also now feel that he will always have some of his ADHD behaviours no matter what we do as it is part of him. This programme is a hard slog and a massive commitment. This was highlighted to me recently when Gabe was ill so we didn't do exercises. What a relief it was to have a few days free of exercises, going back to them this week has been really hard. I will carry on with the programme as I've put in too much time and effort to stop now.

I hope someone out there does have a positive story regarding your query for both our son's sake and our sanity.

GillC

Gillc - I agree about the ADHD traits never going away, but I believe they can lessen to the degree they were at the beginning - similar to the dyslexia traits, those with severe dyslexia can find they are only mildly or moderately dyslexic at the end of the programme. Harry could not remember anything from one day to the next, struggled with the time of day and basic day-to-day stuff. He can now retain information and is full of confidence. He got his latest karate belt last night and is really progressing well. He has done karate since he was 4 years old and was never going to achieve his gradings as he couldn't remember the basic moves. His tutor took me aside at the end of last summer and told me how amazed he was with Harry's focus and attention - and he doesn't offer praise lightly! It is a hard slog, but I would definitely do it all again.

 

Sorry hit the wrong key and too soon

Well done Harry.

B was the same with time....now puts his watch on himself (couldn't before) tells the time with both clocks and his numeracy is improving.

He can remember most of his tables now. I too would do it again even though at times I get so tired of the battles. B thinks he no longer needs the programme because he is doing well. We will carry on though. I look to the forum for support and tell myself that if it was a life threatening illness he had I would search the world and  pay any price for a cure.

Good luck and best wishes to everyone xxxx

Hi Morganlouis, My 10-year-old son also has ADHD characteristics with no notable dyslexia symptoms, and we did the program faithfully for nearly two years without seeing positive results. I really don't know how much Dore can help kids with ADHD, and there is very little research that Dore has done with these children. (It seems the research has focused more on dyslexic individuals, and those with dyslexia may be able to be helped more by doing this program.) We stopped Dore about a year ago and have since explored other options. We have had my son tested (urine, blood and hair) and have found he has a zinc deficiency and a condition called "pyroluria" for which he was prescribed a compounded vitamin regimen. This has certainly helped to level him off emotionally, and it is a relief to know he is getting what his body needs. We also had vision therapy for him and are currently completing a months long computer vision program that he has to do five days a week. Thankfully, my son's grades are good and have always been good (i.e., A's, B's and a few C's here and there). The problem is with his work completion (in which he would know answers but would skip them accidentally and then score lower on tests and assignments completed at school), short-term memory, working memory, and handwriting (though he can draw really well - go figure!). Over time, this has improved slightly but not by leaps and bounds. I attribute the small gains to maturation rather than to some big epiphany due to a program or vitamin. As a matter of fact, at our last appointment with the doctor who prescribes his supplements (in mid-November), I expressed concerns that my son's short-term and working memory are still issues, and the doctor increased the fish oil dosage and added another supplement. It takes time to notice results with the supplements, though, so I am waiting to see how it will all play out over the next few months. It also helps that he has a teacher he really likes this year in fifth grade. Sorry I can't be more reassuring, but our experience with the program was not stellar (though the staff with whom we worked were really great people, and my heart goes out to them that they have lost their jobs after their dedication to this program, likely due to some administrative staff person or persons who did not manage the business well). Best of luck to you and your son with whatever path you choose to take. starshine

Starshine, I was wondering what kind of doctor you sent your son to be tested for vitamin deficiency. This is something I'd like to do when I finish the program. I have major issues with attention and working memory, too. Thanks.

Hi

Thanks to all for your replies to my original post. 

 

Starshine - I agree with all that you are saying. We had a bit of 'time off' from it over Christmas - it was lovely not to have to argue every day. Must get back to it any day now...um...if we had an appointment lined up we would have something to work to and I would be so worried that we would be 'found out' for not doing it I would make sure we did it!!!

 Anyway - I was interested in your vitamin supplements solution - does your son take Concerta as well? Also vision therapy - do you have any details on that?

Thanks

morganlouis