Mary Ann Block

Mary Ann Block (born July 9, 1945) is a top-selling author and osteopathic physician. As founder and Medical Director of the Block Center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Dr. Block specializes in the drug-free treatment of health problems and learning disabilities. Her books include No More ADHD: Ten Steps to Help Your Child's Attention and Behavior without Drugs, No More Ritalin: Treating ADHD Without Drugs, No More Antibiotics: Preventing and Treating Ear and Respiratory Infections the Natural Way, and Today I Will Not Die.

Biography
Block opted to attend medical school at the age of 39 after her daughter was purportedly prescribed the wrong medication for a bladder infection. She received her medical degree in 1990 from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

Praise
Scientologists and others applaud Block for challenging the pharmaceutical industry, and for her commitment to offering an alternative to widely accepted strategies for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (Rapp 2003; Wills-Brandon 2000). 

Criticisms
Critics question the scientific validity of Block's research and methodology, as well as the legitimacy of calling her a "medical expert" on ADHD. These critics suggest that Block, as an osteopath trained to specialize in manipulative therapy, lacks the credibility of the psychiatrist or pediatricians whom she opposes. Other skeptics are wary of Block's development and marketing of her own product, "Dr. Block's DMAE" (formerly called CONCENTRATION for-your-kids), which Block markets as an alternative to  Her creation of this product Ellen Kingsley, in her address to the National Consumers League's Risk Symposium in 2002, warned consumers to be wary of Block's expertise: "She claims that ADHD psychiatry is a hoax, but she also makes her living, in part, by hocking her books and these vitamin therapies.  This one’s called Concentration for Your Kids to Support Your Child’s Ability to Focus."