SCHOOLGIRL Olivia Dickons is throwing herself into school life after life-changing treatment from a brain injury specialist.

A year ago, five-year-old Olivia would have been classed as a naughty and even dyslexic child at Poppleton Infant School. But after a year of special co-ordination treatment she is a bright little girl and fitting in well in the classroom.

Olivia was diagnosed with mild attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) last year at the Bird Centre in Chester by Dr David McGlown.

Her parents, Gilly and Ian, heard about the centre through a friend and decided to take Olivia for treatment.

Gilly, 33, a patient adviser in Leeds, said: "We were having such trouble with Olivia and ferocious temper tantrums.

"She wasn't developing her grown up co-ordination skills properly. She would put her dress on back to front. She was a messy eater and bad sleeper.

"If she had gone to school then they would have thought she was naughty or dyslexic".

For a year, Olivia and her mum have been doing half-hour exercises every night at the family home in Hillcrest Avenue, Nether Pppleton, developing her co-ordination.

Now Gilly says Olivia can write well, is a perfect eater and 90 per cent of the time they see the best side of Olivia.

She said: "It has been hard work for all of the family over the last year, but she is now socially confident and a normal, beautiful five-year-old."

Olivia returns to the centre in May for her final assessment.

Updated: 14:11 Thursday, March 14, 2002