Parent Story: Improved Self-Esteem - Maddie (7 Years)
The Challenge
April knew her daughter Maddie had "some sort of neurodiversity," but pinpointing exactly what it was felt impossible. Maddie's dad had recently been diagnosed with dyslexia at age 40, which prompted April to look at whether Maddie might have inherited it. The school conducted a mini dyslexia assessment, but the results were puzzling: Maddie had very low auditory memory, yet her reading age was significantly higher than her actual age.
"We were kind of like, we don't really know where to go with this. We don't know whether to get a formal dyslexia assessment that's going to cost us £800 to maybe find out that she's not dyslexic," April explains. "We don't know where to focus our attention."
The school agreed something was happening. They thought Maddie exhibited traits of ADHD and dyspraxia as well as possible dyslexia. But without knowing which assessment to pursue first, April faced a daunting financial gamble: what if she spent £800 on a dyslexia assessment only to discover that wasn't the issue? Would she then pay for another assessment? And another?
April had conversations with friends about her uncertainty, admitting she "didn't really know what I was doing or what to do, from a financial position as well." The traditional approach of targeting one specific diagnosis at a time felt like an expensive guessing game with her daughter's wellbeing at stake.
Most concerning was Maddie herself. Despite being really clever, she didn't feel clever. She was beginning to internalise her struggles, and April could see her self-esteem starting to suffer. "That's the thing that was bothering me. She is starting to internalise this and it's going to start damaging her self-esteem."
Discovering a Different Approach
In February, a school mum friend introduced April to Learning DNA. The friend said, "Have you seen this company? It looks like it's exactly what you're after in terms of having an assessment and giving you avenues as to where to focus your attention and where to go."
April explains: "I thought that you just had to suspect your child had something and go and have an assessment for that thing. I didn't know there was something that could identify causes, and give you an idea of where to go," April shares. "And that's the thing I found fantastic.”
She contacted Learning DNA, had a free consultation over the phone, and explained her situation. Learning DNA’s response was reassuring: "You know what? Your daughter is exactly the type of candidate that this assessment is aimed towards, where you don't really know, there's something, but you don't know what."
Unexpected Discoveries
The assessment revealed strong markers for ADHD, as the school had suspected. But it also identified something April had never heard of: retained primitive reflexes. The report included a visual hierarchy, like a pyramid, showing how retained primitive reflexes sit at the foundation of learning difficulties, and how addressing them could potentially resolve issues higher up the pyramid.
"I went down such a rabbit hole when I looked into it. I found it really interesting," April recalls. She started researching immediately, finding information on NHS pages and other reputable sources that validated what Learning DNA had identified.
The report didn't flag dyslexia at all. Had April followed her original plan and spent £800 on a dyslexia assessment, that would have been "£800 of money just up the wall." Instead, for less than £300, she had comprehensive answers and a clear direction forward.
Understanding Through Expert Explanation
Learning DNA recommended therapies for the retained primitive reflexes and a private ADHD assessment. April decided to proceed with the movement therapy but opted for an NHS referral for ADHD instead, as Maddie's school was willing to treat her as having ADHD and implement support measures based on the report.
"I never felt any pressure to do anything," April emphasises.
When April met with Learning DNA for Maddie's initial therapy assessment, she admitted her confusion: "I don't understand how that will help Maddie's learning. I don't understand why the reflexes matter."
April recounts the explanation she received from the Learning DNA specialist: "At the moment, Maddie spends a lot of her day, and a lot of her brain power, suppressing these reflexes because in school, she knows she's got to sit still, she's got to raise her hand, she's got to be quiet, and her body's telling her to do all these other things. So if we can integrate them and her body no longer needs to, her brain doesn't think about having to suppress them, it's essentially freeing brain space for learning."
"I found that really interesting and actually a really good way to explain it. And that's how I've explained it to other people," April shares. The quality of explanation, combined with her own research showing everything was "backed in research and study and literature," gave April confidence to proceed.
Real, Measurable Progress
The weekly sessions with Amanda proved transformational. Maddie couldn't walk backwards without looking behind her, something April had never fully understood. "They explained Maddie's brain doesn't know where her body is in space, so she can't walk backwards without looking behind her. Within a couple of weeks of the programme, she was able to do it."
When April mentioned these changes, wondering if they were coincidences, it was clear: "It's not a coincidence. It's the programme."
The improvements extended beyond what April expected. Maddie's fine motor skills improved significantly. Her teacher commented that her handwriting had improved notably. After 12 weeks, the reassessment showed measurable parameters of improvement. "I liked being able to see where Maddie started and where she is now, and that there had been an actual change."
The Most Important Change
Beyond the academic and physical improvements, the most profound transformation was in Maddie's self-perception. Understanding that she has ADHD, which affects her concentration beyond her control, has been "transformational for her. She's now understanding that she's not doing anything wrong. She's not failing. It's just her brain works differently from other people, and that's fine."
Becoming an Advocate
April's experience has been so positive that at least two of her friends have taken their children for 360 assessments, with another planning to call. The school's SENCO had never heard of retained primitive reflexes and started researching them after seeing Maddie's report. "It's all kind of snowballed," April notes.
"I only really have positive things to say, and I've recommended them to other people and other people have gone to them," April shares. The thorough report was valuable not just for the family but for the school as well, providing a comprehensive picture that informed their support strategies.
April's Advice to Other Parents
"If you suspect your child has something but you don't know what, the 360 assessment is exactly what you need," April emphasises. "I thought you just had to suspect your child had something and go and have an assessment for that thing. I didn't know there was something that could identify, give you an idea of where to go."
"For me, it's a really reasonable price considering what you get. Maddie was in there for well over an hour, maybe an hour and a half. Then I had the follow-up consultation. It was a really thorough report that I was able to disclose to the school."
April's advice extends beyond the assessment itself: "Everyone I spoke to had an answer for everything. I never felt like somebody didn't know what they were talking about or that they were trying to pull the wool over my eyes. Everything they said seemed to be backed in research and study and literature, and I was able to back that up myself with my own research."
Most importantly, April found validation: "I just wanted some validation that there is something going on, that I'm not mad. I haven't been just thinking since she was 2 years old that she could have something going on. There is actually something going on. But it's okay because there are things that can be done to support her and actually improve her quality of life and her ability to learn."
For April and Maddie, Learning DNA provided what months of uncertainty and costly dead ends couldn't: comprehensive understanding, targeted support, measurable progress, and most importantly, a child who now understands her brain works differently, not wrongly.