Finding Robert: the Trials and Struggles of a Long Island Family Facing Their Son's Descent into Attention and Behavioral Disorders

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Publisher Marketing: Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder in the early 1990s, Robert Stevens was anexceptionally intelligent child who could not function in a mainstream environment. Being the problem child of every play group, sports league, and extracurricular activityhe joined, Robert had no friends, no internal means of self-control, no off switch, and as his parents, Robert and Catherine Stevens, were warned perhaps no realfuture. Thinking it for the best, Robert s parents did what the experts told them to do. Despite having a remarkably high IQ, Robert was placed in a special education program, under a psychiatrist s care, and on several powerful medications, including Ritalin andProzac. Unfortunately, nothing worked quite as intended, and Robert suffered from nearlyevery side effect these drugs had to offer. Robert s parents saw they were losing him. Witnesses to Robert s drastic mood swingsand anxious displays, they did not know whether they were seeing their son or theresults of the medications he was taking. While initially helpful, the special educationclass began to create its own world of problems, with Robert taking a step backwards foreach step forward. Desperate, the Stevens family turned to holistic therapies. Amazingly, Robert began to show improvement. Wondering why their son s doctors had discouragedsuch strategies, Robert and Catherine started researching new approaches on their own. Using nontraditional approaches, Robert was found. By third grade, he was off allmedications, attending a mainstream school, making friends, and simply being himself. Finding Robert chronicles one family s journey through the world of developmentaldisorders. It depicts the struggles faced, examines the decisions made, and offers athorough analysis of the therapies utilized. Amid sadness and confusion, with strengthand resolve, Robert and Catherine regained their son and undertook a mission to changethe way we look at these conditions." Review Citations:

Library Journal 03/15/2015 pg. 123 (EAN 9780757004025, Paperback)

Contributor Bio:  Stevens MS, Catherine E Catherine E. Stevens, MS, received her BA in biology from Boston University and her BS incardiorespiratory technology from Stony Brook University. After seeing the positive impact dietary andnutritional intervention had upon her son, she returned to college for her master's degree in clinicalnutrition from New York Institute of Technology. In addition to her work as a cardiac catheterizationtechnologist at North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Catherine specializes in working withchildren who demonstrate learning, attention, and behavioral issues. She resides with her husband, Robert, in Garden City South, New York.