As his parent, I was threatened, on more than one occasion, that I needed to either medicate him or risk repercussions. The Head Start teacher that started all this said she would expel him. Thankfully an attorney told me that federally funded programs had no authority to expel any child as enrollment was income based. And an elementary school principal threated to contact Child Protective Services telling me I would risk losing all 3 of my children. Calls to my work nearly cost me my job and my health suffered due to the stress.
They won – for 2.5 years – I medicated my son. I lost the loving, curious, bright little boy. In his place was either a zombie or a child who continuously bounced off the walls. Every 2 months brought a new strength or a new drug, until I had enough. The psychologist gave me 3 prescriptions explaining that he was changing the strength again and it could keep my son up at night so I would have to give him a new drug to sleep. School was ending and I decided there would be no more medications. I knew there had to be another way. So, I went back to school to find out how - for my son and for me.
That decision came with repercussions of its own beginning with his transfer to an ‘alternative school’ because the elementary school principal said, “Our teachers are not equipped to deal with children who are not medicated.”
At the alternative school, the principal told him that having ADHD would mean he would have to do less work than the rest of his class. Instead of taking this as a gift, Nick was offended and asked the principal, “If you don’t think I can do this – why should I even try?” Instead of using this as the amazing ‘teaching moment’ that would have encouraged my son, the principal said, “Because the law requires all children to be in school until they turn 16.”
It became clear that the public school system would never be willing to see my son as the individual, authentic child he was. They could see no further than the ADHD label. This would be Nick’s last year in public school.
For the next two years, I home-schooled Nick and he flourished. Homeschooling was something we both shared as I was attending online classes to continue learning what I could about this and other behavioral disorders. As Nick entered his teens, he decided to return to public school fully knowing what to expect when they found out about the ADHD label.
For three years, he endured the prejudice the label brought with it. At the age of 16, he decided he had enough and asked to participate in the Alaska Military Youth Academy (AMYA). Over the next 10 months, he found support, structure based on his achievements, and success. He completed the program with high marks and graduated with his class.
For me, each class I took and program I completed presented a new ‘treatment’, if you will, that has helped a number of young people deal with the symptoms of these labels. But I knew I was still missing something. Fragments of the nutrition component - the lack of nutrients in the foods, the artificial flavors, colors, ingredients, the GMOs, and all the processing – came with each class until all the pieces began to fall into place and my research had a target. Attending the Energetic Health Institute and completing my Certificate in Holistic Nutrition has allowed me to complete the puzzle. Now I can help you delve into the real root cause of your child’s behaviors. I know I am now able to help other families – and especially other children. The degrees I’ve earned include 2 associates in mind-body psychology and western herbalism from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA); a bachelor’s in health and wellness from Kaplan University (KU); a master’s in education from the American InterContinental University (AIU); and a master’s degree in complementary alternative medicine from the American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS). I recently completed my certification as a Holistic Nutritionist from Energetic Health Institute (EHI). This was the most comprehensive and intensive program on how what we eat affects how our bodies operate.
I am a member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP). I intend to become Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition (BCHN) later this year.
I have authored 4 books:
Parenting Consciously: Out of the Box Solutions for Nurturing Your Authentic Child
Recognizing the Greatness in Each Child: Because Learning Differently Doesn’t Mean Learning Disabled
Plants vs Pills: Natural Solutions to the Over-Drugging of America's Youth
un-Broken Children: Removing Labels – Restoring Health & Wellness
I am one of the co-authors of the International Best-Seller, My Big Idea Book from Expert Insights Publishing & Viki Winterton.
As the owner/founder of Mountain Family Holistic Nutrition, LLC, I offer parents drug-free answers to the ‘why’ of their child’s disruptive behaviors at home and in school environments so the entire family can enjoy healthier lives while reaching their full authentic potential – holistically. My goal is to help parents identify the root cause of the behaviors that are disrupting their lives and families. Together solutions are identified that empower parents as they partner with their authentic children to restore balance in everyone's life.
My authentic children are now grown. My daughter and older son live in Florida with my four grandchildren and my youngest son lives nearby in Western North Carolina. I share my homestead with my three kitties, Pebbles, MoJo, and Bella.
