As told to Sara Schwartz:

“What’s going on in there? It sounds like a tornado!” I shouted from the other room. “Nothing!” my energetic 10-year-old replied, “I’m looking for my basketball. Do you know where it is?” I walked into the living room to find Chaim wrecking havoc.

Every drawer and cabinet door was wide open; photo albums, books, and toys were strewn around the room – even my silver cutlery had made its way onto the floor. I took a deep breath and said, “It doesn’t look like nothing. I understand you’re looking for your basketball, but did you need to take everything out of its place? Chaim this isn’t the first time, it has to stop.” Chaim looked at me sheepishly, then turned on his heels and headed for the door.

“He doesn’t even have patience to listen to me reprimand him,” I complained to my husband later. “He’s always touching everything and knocking things over. Did you see him last Shabbos at your parents’ house? He was fidgeting from the second he sat down at the table until he was dismissed to go play. He tipped over the salt, crumbled the challah into a million pieces, and poured his soda all over the carpet. You should have seen your mother’s face, she was livid.” My husband, Yaakov, frowned, “Perhaps we should have him evaluated like his Rebbe suggested. I know we’ve been procrastinating, but maybe Chaim really has a problem and this isn’t just regular childish behavior.”

I called our family doctor who referred me to a psychiatrist. “It sounds like ADHD,” said Dr. Simons after hearing my concerns. “Why don’t you bring the young man in so I can meet him in person?” I brought Chaim in the next week and Dr. Simons was right – it was ADHD. “You have a few choices,” he explained. “There’s medication or we can try behavioral therapy. I’d recommend you discuss it with your husband before making any decisions.” “I think we should look into Neurolinks,” my husband suggested after hearing about Chaim’s diagnosis. “A few of my students have been through the program and I can say firsthand that it worked wonders. I’ll find out more, but Neurolinks seems to provide a cure, setting it apart from other therapies. Medication is definitely not our first choice.”

After hearing rave reviews about Neurolinks we booked an evaluation for Chaim. “He’s the perfect candidate,” said Mrs. Chayala Taub of Neurolinks Lakewood. “It’s not only that Chaim has problems focusing, but he is also experiencing difficulty with position in space. This is the ability to perceive an object’s position in space relative to oneself, which is why he is always knocking things over. Our program can rewire his brain to combat these issues, as they are curable.” These words were like music to my ears, I signed Chaim up on the spot.

Six months later we have a new Chaim! He is patient and relaxed. He helps around the house and looking for toys no longer brings about a tornado. Chaim is less anxious and is able to pay attention in the classroom. His Rebbe only has positive things to say, and has already referred another student to Neurolinks. The program literally turned Chaim around and for that I’m forever thankful.