New book offers cure for symptoms of autism, ADHD

January 8, 10:21 AMNY Nutrition ExaminerDebora Yost

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It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. A Long Island doctor has developed a non-drug, non-medical therapy that can reverse the behavior and academic problems associated with autism and ADHD.

The groundbreaking therapy is called Brain Balance and is the brainchild of Dr. Robert Melillo, who has used it successfully to date on more than 1,000 children. The program and how it works is detailed in the new book, Disconnected Kids: The Groundbreaking Brain Balance Program for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Disorders, that hit bookstores Jan 6. The book is a self-help program designed so parents can achieve similar results at home.

The program consists of a series of easy-to-follow physical and academic exercises plus a somewhat rigid diet and nutrition regimen aimed at correcting an imbalance created by a glitch in the developing brain.

“Neurological conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, compulsive disorder and the like are all the result of the same thing – the two sides of the brain are not developing at the same rate,” Dr. Melillo said in an interview. “One side of the brain is growing too fast or too slow. As a result, the brain gets out of sync – it’s a disconnect -- and it manifests itself as the behavior and academic problems we are seeing today. The symptoms vary according to which side of the brain and what area of the brain are affected.”

The symptoms of autism and ADHD, for example, are the sign of a right-brain deficiency. The symptoms of dyslexia signal a left-brain deficiency. Different symptoms, one cause. There is even a name for it – Functional Disconnection Syndrome.

Functional Disconnection Syndrome is nothing new; it has been part of the medical literature for more than 50 years. What is new is the way Dr. Melillo treats it.

“The common approach that everyone uses is to work on the strong side of the brain,” says Dr. Melillo, “but that only makes the problem worse. My program works on the weak side of the brain without stimulating the strong side. It allows the weak side to strengthen, grow and catch up to the other side. When this happens the two sides of the brain communicate normally and symptoms go away.”

According to the book, there is no other program like it in the world.
In the book, Dr. Melillo offers a number of questionnaires that lead parents to identify their child’s brain deficiency and the exercises that will correct it. Movement, of course, is essential because it is important to healthy brain development, explains Dr. Melillo. However, most of the exercises are designed to correct sensitivities to such things as light and sound. He also helps parents identify food sensitivities that exacerbate the symptoms and a nutritional program to correct it. Dr. Melillo says that parents who follow the program properly, including identifying and correcting dietary issues, will see results within 12 weeks.

Dr. Melillo’s book is filled with stories of children he has treated. There’s Allan, once a friendless, wildly erratic and disruptive 8-year-old who now socializes normally and has plenty of buddies. There’s Lori, diagnosed as profoundly autistic, whose symptoms completely disappeared. And there’s Laura, an Asperger’s child who today is a typical teen-ager. The book also contains testimonials from parents who have had a child successfully complete the program.
With more than 30 million parents dealing with the challenges of having a child with autism, ADHD or other neurological disorder, Dr. Melillo’s book is bound to attract a lot of attention and perhaps even some controversy. But he’s armed with the proof and says he’s ready to take on any skeptics.

Dr. Melillo spent more than 20 years studying childhood neurological diseases and working on Brain Balance. He has published many of his findings in scientific journals and has written a medical textbook on his findings and theories. The majority of his success stories come from his Brain Balance Centers in Rockville Centre and Ronkonkoma, N.Y. During the past few years he has opened up centers in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago area and Louisianna. He plans to open more in the future.

“My goal is to make Brain Balance accessible to every parent with a child who can benefit from the program,” says Dr. Melillo.

Dr. Melillo's book is available at all major book stores and www.Amazon.com