AD/HD For Dummies

Is this real? EoR means, is it a legitimate book (the title is definitely listed on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk). He just feels a little unedgy with the description of the authors:

Jeff Strong (Lamy, NM), an adult living with ADD, is President of the REI Institute, a music-medicine research center focusing on people with neuro-developmental disabilities, including those with ADD/ADHD. Michael O. Flanagan, MD (Lamy, NM), is the director of several ADD clinics in New Mexico.

The table of contents includes chapters on "Narrowing in on Nutrition, Vitamins and Herbs", "Examining Repatterning Therapies" and "Recognizing Rebalancing Therapies". The first chapter (AD/HD Basics) seems to be reasonable until discussing treatment options.

The most conventional treatment methods for AD/HD are medication and behavior modification. Both are useful and effective approaches, but many other types of treatment can work wonders with the right person.

Some of these treatments suggested include "nutrition and supplements" and "herbs and homeopathics". Has anyone anywhere "treated" ADHD by homeopathics? Successfully, that is.

The REI Institute claims

REI was borne out of ethnomusicological research REI creator Jeff Strong began in the early 1980’s. For over a decade Mr. Strong immersed himself in time-tested rhythmic techniques, studying with traditional practitioners from around the world. He then extracted the core mechanisms of these techniques and began researching them in a controlled setting. After years of clinical and scientific research - including several double-blind, placebo-controlled studies - Mr. Strong and the REI Institute research staff identified hundreds of rhythmic combinations that correspond to specific behavioral and cognitive symptoms.

Strangely though,

The symptomatic changes vary from person to person. Although we can’t predict the degree of change you’ll see using the REI Therapy Program^™, research has shown improvements in many areas

So, this is a therapy that is so effective that the practitioners have no idea whether it will work or not, or what effect it may or may not produce? In EoR's view, that's not a therapy, that's just a collection of random data.

There are a couple of "research" papers on the site (they don't appear to have been peer-reviewed or formally published) including this one:

Rhythm-healing is based upon the theory that specialized rhythmic drumming patterns can influence the internal rhythmic patterns of the individual and correct those which are thought to be out of synch and causing illness. Specific rhythms, when administered correctly, may be used to affect the emotions, pain levels, nervous system function, and organ function. This technique has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of conditions. Rhythm-healing has been practiced by indigenous societies in West Africa, Central America, North America, South America, and the Caribbean.

EoR wouldn't consider that a "theory". It may be a hypothesis, but it seems a pretty wayout woo-influenced one (which doesn't mean it isn't real or provable, just that it seems to be based more on tropes such as "traditional" and wishful thinking rather than evidence).

Mr Strong claims his placebo-controlled trials can produce anxiety reduction that is up to 90% "effective" (whatever that means). Unfortunately, he doesn't state where his studies have been published (of course, EoR suspects strongly that they haven't) nor does he even give details of these studies so they can be assessed. He does, however, offer to sell his special ADHD and autism reducing CDs to you.