Kate O.

My 8-year-old son and I both started LENS on the last day of school.  I remember the specific day because our lives began to improve after that day.  My son Josh has struggled for as long as I can remember with attention, anxiety, irritability, behavior and learning differences.  Our biggest challenges at home were regarding his irritability and anxiety.  I always felt as if I were walking on eggshells, not sure what would set him off or if a change in plans would mean a complete melt-down.  We limited trips and activities because just leaving the house seemed to be so stressful for him.  He had been diagnosed with ADHD and we had tried several medications, but he continued to struggle with these issues.  Then, he started LENS.

I have to tell you that I was extremely skeptical.  I did not want to try LENS.  The idea of using neurofeedback with my young son’s brain scared me.  I spent hours researching LENS on the internet, trying to find some negative information about it that would convince me not to try it.  I spent several therapy sessions questioning our clinician about LENS, as she really felt that it could benefit Josh.  In the end I was only able to find positive information about LENS and I really trusted our clinician, so I decided to take a deep breath and try.  Nothing else had helped to the extent that we needed and I wanted so much for things to get better.

I asked if I could participate as well because I wanted to feel the effects for myself.  The changes for Josh were significant and almost immediate.  I noticed within the first week that he complained much less when it was time to go somewhere.  Within the first month, his irritability decreased significantly.  Meltdowns became rare.  Josh started smiling more often, he began to look at people when they spoke to him.  He chose to go outside and play with his sister and friends instead of playing alone inside.  He began to actually look forward to events.  He asked to join soccer.  When a change in plans happened, he was able to deal with it.  Six weeks after starting LENS, we made the decision to take him off all of his medications.  He has not been on them for months and we are still seeing these positive effects without medication.

The effects for me were also positive.  I found that I seemed to worry about things less.  I had more energy and more patience and I generally felt more optimistic about life.  I finally began an exercise program and I have stuck with it.

Josh started back to school a couple of weeks ago.  I have heard from several teachers, including the librarian and a cafeteria worker that Josh really seems to have come out of his shell and seems to be so much happier. Josh IS so much happier.  He smiles at me and waves when I see him in the hall.  I feel like I am getting to know a little boy that was trapped inside and could not get out.  LENS has helped him come out.  Things are not perfect.  He still struggles with learning and can be anxious and irritable.  There is still the occasional meltdown.  But, it is manageable now.  I can actually talk to him about things in a way that I never could before.  I have hopes for him that were hard to have before.  As I said, I was a true skeptic and I was very scared to try LENS.  I am thankful every day that I did.