Re: Neurodevelopmental therapies?

July 24, 2008

We use NACD for two of our boys and have been thrilled with the whole

thing. There were many posts by a number of us over the past year

about NACD, so perhaps you could search the archives. Janice

in particular is the best person to discuss NACD.

We started with NACD for my son (6 years old), but it was

after he was over the speech part of his dyspraxia. We mostly work

on auditory processing, coordination, reading, and math. We are

keeping an eye out for dyslexia, which is not uncommon among

apraxic/dyspraxic kids. The NACD approach really works on

hemispheric dominance issues and going back to the developmental

steps you missed and doing them now. The better job WE do on getting

the program done, the better he does. The proof is in the pudding,

as they say.

If you have severe speech issues, you will probably need them to

develop an intensive speech program in addition to your basic

program, but the basic one should cover all of your key issues in

some form. Once you pay the upfront evaluation fee, all you pay is a

monthly fee going forward. That includes phone consults, re-

evaluations every three months, etc. For us, this is much cheaper

than hiring therapists and tutors, and the results are much, much

better. I wish I had discovered them years ago. I never would have

found NACD if it weren't for Janice 's posts on this group.

We recently started doing NACD with our two year old, who is showing

all the signs of expressive language delay and some coordination/tone

issues. His basic program includes a number of oral motor activities

and some to develop receptive and expressive language. Compliance is

challenging with him, but we are starting to make progress with him

as well. He is having a nice burst of new words this week. Yay!

Here are two links you might find helpful:

ApraxiaDyspraxiaBiomedSupport/

--This is the group that many of the NACD people are on. It's very

open to all discussions, but is theoretically about biomedical

interventions. I love this group! Don't be intimidated by the

posters who are doing more involved biomed -- just skip over what is

too much for you.

CM_RDI_with_ND

--This is a new group that has sprung out of the above one. It is

more focused on ND therapies, including NACD, but also has a lot of

discussion about homeschooling and Charlotte Mason and RDI. I don't

know anything about that stuff, but I lurk for NACD posts.

Anyone interested in more information may email me off the group. Or

check out www.nacd.org

in NJ

>

> Hello everyone,

> Do any of you do neurodevelopmental therapies with your children?

Does

> any one have experience with NACD (www.nacd.org) or any of the other

> similar ND agencies (Hope and a Future, Little Giant Steps, etc)? I

am

> researching this option for my DS. Its an expensive option though

and I

> want to research as much as possible. Thank you for any replies.

> Becky

>

July 25, 2008

Hi ,

Thanks for all the info on NACD--?? but it would have been bettr to spell out

what it stands for to get more people to read since the acronym means NOTHING to

so many of us and some may just skip over it and never read further.

I do really want to learn more and more about this as it has helped our

daughter, who has definite metabolic disturbances along with her apraxia, the

most. Speech therapy is a tool, but it doesn't address what's wrong to begin

with,--as a friend of mine put it " it was like teaching a dog tricks--but

nothing really stuck around to take him to the next learning step, the whole

communication process was impaired because nothing was really retained outside

therapy " =--- or very little. "

For us it was the same until we started the diet/biomed stuff and now the

progress is steady and she surprises us everyday, her skin psoriasis is better,

her behavior has improved, now we have hope.

Thank s again for the info.

Elena

July 28, 2008

The original poster referred to it as NACD so I believe that is why

ran with it. It stands for:

National Association for Child Development

It was founded by the son of a physiatrist and cocreatoer of The

Listening Program. He was the head of the educational component of the

United Cerebral Palsy Foundation for a while. They know education, they

know kids, they know nutrition and they know how it all fits to take

the kid where they can go ar their personal optimal level. So far this

has been the best find for us.

Like any tool to help you with your kid you must use it to your

advantage. You must talk to them and ask for help on how to implement

it with other commitments in your life: be it drs, school, etc.

Here is an overview:

http://nacd.org/getting_started/index.html

July 28, 2008

I see that Liz already answered the question, but let me add that

they have about a dozen locations in the US and abroad. Their main

office is in Utah, and their other permanent office is in West

Chester, PA. (That's where we go.) Check their website for the

specifics of the other spots.

Anyone interested in the National Association for Child Development

(NACD) can email me offlist.

in NJ

>

> Hi ,

> Thanks for all the info on NACD--?? but it would have been bettr to

spell out what it stands for to get more people to read since the

acronym means NOTHING to so many of us and some may just skip over it

and never read further.

>

> I do really want to learn more and more about this as it has helped

our daughter, who has definite metabolic disturbances along with her

apraxia, the most. Speech therapy is a tool, but it doesn't address

what's wrong to begin with,--as a friend of mine put it " it was like

teaching a dog tricks--but nothing really stuck around to take him to

the next learning step, the whole communication process was impaired

because nothing was really retained outside therapy " =--- or very

little. "

>

> For us it was the same until we started the diet/biomed stuff and

now the progress is steady and she surprises us everyday, her skin

psoriasis is better, her behavior has improved, now we have hope.

> Thank s again for the info.

> Elena

>

July 28, 2008

Thanks Liz. I'll look into it. Seems like there's always something more to

learn and do...

Elena

July 29, 2008

Just to chime in here..... NACD literally changed my son's life. He was a

special education lifer and after one year on their program, he went to

mainstream junior high with no aids or accomodations. Today he is 'almost'

neurotypical with many, many friends, pretty good grades and a social life to

die for. He is truly a transformed kid and I owe them so so much for helping

him. We are coming to the end of our 2nd year with NACD and I don't know that

we will need to do an entire 3rd year..... my boy is doing pretty well now.

I am a big, big fan of NACD. It is a lot of work but nothing else was helping

and nothing else was working for him. This really did!

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13

July 29, 2008

All I can add to this is a resounding AAAAAAMEN! YES-- this is something

that I agree with 100% speaking about my 4 yr old who is Globally Dyspraxic.

It's a hellish life, and we're just at the beginning stages of it-- but thank

GOD we know now so we can work like the dickens to help him as much as we

possibly can

becky

July 29, 2008

Janice thank you for your other good wishes and for chiming about NACD. I will

look into it. That's what we all need a champion method/provider to help our

children overcome their weaknesses and maximize their strengths. I'm so glad

your son is doing so well now. You must be so proud knowing how far you've all

come from where he was initially.

Thanks again!

-Elena

July 29, 2008

How old was Mark when you started?!!!

And how long did he do the program for?!!!

Love, Gabby. :0)

http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

July 29, 2008

Not the answer you were looking for but something to be aware of.

Since 2000 NACD has only been brought up by 3 people here other than

one or two in the past two years who bring it up lots and still bring

it up today. The other one or two who tried it said it was too

expensive or too difficult. In general it's best to follow the

successful pattern in this group and most stuck with the norm therapy

traditional and alternative. It's good to be aware there are other

things out there but again you don't have to start with the most

expensive ...and obscure. If it was that good more would say good

things about it. There's much negative press and not at all on just

this group as again the overwhelming majority never heard of it nor

tried it. So personally I'd explore a proven to be successful for

the majority Montessori or other multisensory school over this method.

Just a few links but much more out there.

Psychomotor Patterning

An Expose of a Cruel Pseudoscience

Novella, MD

10/1/1996

The line which sharply demarcates mainstream medicine from

alternative medicine is the line of science. It is possible to cross

that line, however. Any alternative treatment which is tested in a

rigorous scientific manner and found to be safe and effective, will

be incorporated into mainstream medicine, it will have crossed the

line. A therapy, on the other hand, which begins within the halls of

mainstream medicine as a legitimate proposal, and is found, when

tested scientifically, to be of no real value, will be discarded.

Most such discarded therapies are destined to become forgotten

footnotes in the annals of medical research. Some, however, are

salvaged by practitioners of alternative medicine. These therapies

have crossed the line in the other direction, descending from science

into pseudoscience.

The method of psychomotor patterning for the treatment of mental

deficiencies is one such therapy. It began 30 years ago as a

legitimate, if incorrect, scientific concept for a new treatment

modality for mental retardation, brain injury, learning disabilities,

and other cognitive maladies. The method was subjected to controlled

trials and found to be of no value. It was debated in the scientific

literature up until the early 1970's, when finally the medical

community arrived at the consensus that patterning should be

discarded as a false concept with no therapeutic role. Use of the

techniques of patterning, however, has not died, as we will see.

The concept of patterning was invented by Glenn Doman and C. Delacato

in the 1960's, and is therefore often referred to as the Doman-

Delacato technique.1 Their theories are primarily an extension of the

older concept that ontogeny (the stages through which organisms

develop from single cell to maturity) recapitulates phylogeny (the

evolutionary history of the species). Therefore, the

neurodevelopmental stages of crawling, creeping, crude walking, and

mature walking through which normal children develop is directly

related to the amphibian, reptilian, and mammalian evolutionary human

ancestors. 2

Doman and Delacato's concept of mental retardation is that of failure

of the individual to develop through the proper phylogenetic stages.

Their treatment modality is therefore designed to stimulate the

proper development of these stages, each of which must be mastered

before progress can be made to the next stage. This stimulation is

achieved through the method known as patterning.

The patterning treatment involves the patient moving repeatedly in

the manner of the current stage. In the " homolateral crawling " stage,

for instance, the patient crawls by turning his head to one side

while flexing the arm and leg of that side and extending the arm and

leg of the opposite side. For patients who are unable to execute this

exercise by themselves, they are passively moved in this manner by 4-

5 adults, alternating back and forth in a smooth manner. This must be

repeated for at least 5 minutes 4 times per day. The purpose of this

exercise is to impose the proper " pattern " onto the central nervous

system. In the full treatment program, the exercises are combined

with sensory stimulation, breathing exercises which are designed to

increase oxygen flow to the brain, and a program of restriction and

facilitation designed to promote hemispheric dominance. 3

The claim made for the technique by Doman, Delacato and their

supporters is that, with this treatment method, mentally retarded and

brain injured children can achieve improved, and even normal,

development in the areas of visuo-spatial tasks, motor coordination,

social skills, and intellect. They have also expanded these claims to

include the idea that their techniques can promote superior

development in a normal child. 4

The theoretical basis of psychomotor patterning is therefore based on

two primary principles, the recapitulationist theory of ontogeny and

phylogeny, and the belief that passive movements can influence the

development and structure of the brain. Delacato himself writes " Man

has evolved phylogenetically in a known pattern. The ontogenetic

development of normal humans in general recapitulates that

phylogenetic process. We have been able to take children who deviate

from normal development (severe brain injured) and through the

extrinsic imposition of normal patterns of movement and behavior have

been able to neurologically organize them sufficiently so that they

can be placed within a human developmental pattern of crawling,

creeping, and walking. " 3

Medical treatments are evaluated on two criteria, their theoretical

basis and their empirical value. Patterning has been rejected by the

scientific community on both accounts. The theory of recapitulation

has never been fully accepted, and even by the 1960's had been all

but discarded by evolutionary and biological scientists.

The essential flaw in the theory of recapitulation is that it is

based on an incorrect linear concept of evolution. Evolutionary lines

continuously branch and deviate, forming a complex bush of

relationships, not a linear ladder of descent. Embryological

development does not reflect the mature stages of other distant

branches of this evolutionary bush. Studying the embryology of the

developing fetus also does not reveal any evidence of successive

stages reflecting past evolutionary ancestors.

There is also no theoretical basis for the belief that patterns can

be impressed upon the developing cortex. Brain development is

genetically driven and involves a complex sequence of cell growth,

migration, organization, and even programmed cell death.

Abnormalities in this process can be caused by genetic flaws, toxic

insults, infection, or biochemical abnormalities. There is no model

by which any of these disparate causes can be influenced by passive,

or even active, movement of the neck and limbs. Thirty years of

subsequent neurological, embryological, and medical progress have

failed to lend any theoretical support for Doman and Delacato's

principles.

Their practice of using breathing exercises to promote oxygen

delivery to the brain also lacks an accepted theoretical basis. The

brain and the cardiovascular system are designed to give highest

priority to oxygen flow to the brain cells. Elaborate and powerful

feedback mechanisms ensure adequate delivery. It is true that carbon

dioxide retention, in this case achieved through breathing

techniques, does increase blood flow to the brain. There is

absolutely no reason to believe, however, that such increased flow is

at all helpful to the developing brain.

Despite the fact that patterning is theoretically bankrupt, if

empirical evidence existed which demonstrated that patterning

improves neurological development, it would be accepted and used.

There are many mainstream interventions which are employed in modern

medicine that lack a fully understood theoretical basis. Physicians

are, at their heart, practical individuals, and if something works,

it works. They require proof, however, that an intervention does

indeed work and is safe.

On this score, patterning has just not delivered. Over a period of

approximately ten years in the late 60's and early 70's there were

dozens of clinical trials comparing improvement in groups of

developmentally delayed children given patterning treatment compared

to controls who were given no treatment but similar amounts of

attention. 2,5-7 Although most of the studies had significant

methodological flaws, some were fairly well designed. None were

perfect. More importantly, none confirmed the claims of Doman and

Delacato.

Some of the studies did show modest improvement in motor skills or

visuo-spatial skills over controls. None showed improved intellectual

development. The few positive results found were not impressive or

reproducible. Eventually, such clinical trials stopped, as the

technique was abandoned as a blind alley. This point marked the

unequivocal crossing over of patterning from science to pseudoscience.

The tragedy of this story does not stem from the fact that patterning

is a failed theory. It is regrettable that patterning did not deliver

as promised, for any legitimate treatment for brain injured and

retarded children would be most welcome. The real tragedy began,

however, when Doman and Delacato released their claims for a new

dramatic treatment before their theories had been scientifically

validated.

This behavior, reminiscent of the cold fusion fiasco, is more than

just professionally irresponsible. In physics, such behavior is

merely bad form; when dealing with the desperate parents of brain

injured children, it can be considered cruel. Doman and Delacato were

widely criticized for publicizing their unsubstantiated claims,

giving false hope to vulnerable parents and their afflicted children.

The saga, however, did not end with the scientific death of

patterning. Doman, Delacato and their associates began incorporating

the patterning technique into their Institutes for the Achievement of

Human Potential (IAHP), which was established in Philadelphia in the

1950's. They continued to advertise and use patterning uninterrupted

right through the scientific controversy, past the scientific

condemnation, and on into the present day.

I was also able to locate one other institution, the National Academy

of Child Development (NACD), located in Huntsville, Utah, that offers

patterning as part of their treatment program. The NACD is run by

Doman, the nephew of Glenn Doman, although both institutions

are eager to point out that there is currently no association between

the two.

On August 8, 1996, NBC aired a program titled " Miracle Babies " ,

hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford. The program included a segment

portraying an apparent " miracle cure " of a child suffering from

moderate mental retardation. As is all too typical of the lay press,

Kathy Lee provided an emotionally appealing yet completely uncritical

presentation of the patterning technique, touting its virtues without

even a hint of skepticism. There was no evidence that NBC did any

investigative reporting into the background and validity of the

intervention they were promoting on their program.

The segment did bring out, however, even if for the wrong reasons,

the desperateness of the parents. They were clearly devastated, as

any parents would be, by the need to finally accept that their child

was not developing normally. In their desperation, they sought any

possible hope, and it was offered to them by the IAHP. The hope that

they purchased, however, came at a heavy price, both financial and

emotional.

Both the IAHP and the NACD rely heavily on the family as the primary

deliverers of the patterning treatment method. In order to even reach

the stage where their child can be enrolled into the aggressive

treatment program, they must first complete a training and evaluation

course which begin for both institutions with purchasing and

listening to a set of audio tapes. The IAHP states in their

literature that only the most dedicated and capable parents will make

it to the final stage of treatment. The NACD appears less demanding,

but they follow the same principle.

The end result is that the parents and other family members of the

patient must alter their lives to institute a daily program of

patterning exercises, breathing exercises, and programs of sensory

stimulation. The mother interviewed by Kathy Lee stated that the

program was so demanding that it dominated her life, resulting in

emotional and physical exhaustion. The exceptional demands of the

patterning method is the primary reason cited in the medical

literature for caution in evaluating patterning, for the obvious harm

that would ensue if the method were recommended prematurely, without

good proof that it is effective.

The program also illuminated another important feature of the

patterning phenomenon, the difference between anecdotal and

scientific evaluation of its effectiveness. One important fact to

understand is that most children, even severely mentally retarded

children, still grow and develop, although on a slower curve than

average. Therefore, any child admitted into any treatment program

will make some progress as an inevitable consequence of time and

their natural development, even if that treatment program is

completely worthless. Without adequate controls, it is therefore

impossible to evaluate any such treatment. Of course, Kathy Lee and

the parents of the child on the program reported remarkable progress.

Whether or not the treatments played any role, however, cannot be

known. The viewers, however, were meant to come away with the sense

that they had witnessed a miracle cure.

The NACD and IAHP literature both caution that individual results

will vary. By emphasizing the need for dedicated capable parents,

they also create a situation in which, if a patient fails to make

significant progress, the parents are the ones to blame. These

parents now have the added guilt of feeling inadequate to have helped

their injured child.

Most practitioners of alternative medicine either practice or are at

least accepting of many different forms of alternative cures. This

results from the fact that if one has a casual, or even anti, science

attitude regarding one alternative modality, then they will likely

have a similar attitude towards other modalities. It is not

surprising, therefore, that the NACD embraces other scientifically

questionable practices.

For instance, the NACD advertises on their web site that they also

evaluate and treat for food sensitivities. Although there is not the

space here to adequately address this complex issue, suffice to say

that food sensitivities are controversial at best, and certainly lack

scientific acceptance. The excerpt in the box below is quite

revealing. 8 I doubt there are many children who do not have three or

more of these symptoms, especially since many are vague or qualified

enough to apply to anyone. The NACD also offers a consultation with

an " orthomolecular physician. " Again, I will not delve into this

issue here, but suffice to say such " physicians " are clearly outside

of the mainstream.

Unproved therapies can be harmful in many ways, not always by direct

toxicity or physical harm. The promotion of psychomotor patterning by

institutions which make bold unsubstantiated claims about its

effectiveness may cause significant financial and emotional damage.

Such claims instill false hope in people who are likely already

plagued by guilt and depression. By doing so, these desperate parents

are being set up for a crushing disappointment or further guilt of

inadequacy. In the process they must spend a great deal of their

resources of time, energy, emotion, and money. These resources are

taken away from their other children and other important facets of

their lives, resources they might not be willing to spend if not for

the fantastic claims which have lured them to this path. They are

also distracted from dealing with the situation in other practical

ways and coping psychologically as a family with the reality of

having a brain injured or mentally retarded child. They are

encouraged, in fact, to remain in a state of denial while they are

pursuing a false cure.

The Doman-Delacato patterning technique is pseudoscience because it

is premised on a bankrupt and discarded theory and, more importantly,

has failed to demonstrate any significant effectiveness under

controlled conditions, and yet it is being purveyed as an innovative

and effective treatment, and even possibly a cure. The IAHP and NACD

cannot support the claims that they make, and are therefore guilty of

fraud. Current regulations should prevent such abuse, but

unfortunately such institutions as the FDA lack the manpower and the

teeth to properly enforce such regulations and fulfill their role to

protect the public from the snake-oil salesman, dressed up in the

modern clothes of alternative medicine, that increasingly prey upon

the vulnerable, the sick, and the desperate.

References:

1. Doman RJ, Spitz EB, Zucman E, Delacato CH, and Doman G: Children

with severe brain injuries, Neurologic organization in terms of

mobility. JAMA, 174:257, 1960

2. Cohen HJ, Birch HG, Taft LT: Some considerations for evaluating

the Doman-Delacato " Patterning " method. Pediatrics, 45:302-14, 1970

3. Delacato CH: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Speech and Reading

Problems. Springfield, Illinois: C , 1963.

4. Doman G, Delacato CH: Train Your Baby to be a Genius. McCall's

Magazine, p. 65, March 1965

5. Neman R, Roos P, McCann BM, Menolascino FJ, Heal LW: Experimental

Evaluation of Sensorimotor Patterning used with Mentally Retarded

Children. Am J Mental Deficiency, 79:372-84, 1975

6. Ziegler E, S: On " An Experimental Evaluation of

Sensorimotor Patterning " : A Critique. Am J Mental Deficiency, 79:483-

92, 1975

7. Freeman RD: Controversy Over " Patterning " as a Treatment for Brain

Damage in Children. JAMA, 202:83-86, 1967

8. NACD website, URL-http://www.nacd.org/articles/food.html

http://www.theness.com/articles.asp?id=56

Kathleen Ann Quill 'Teaching children with autism' book: " thousands

of families have wasted time and money to follow Doman's

methods. " " Professionals have nothing to learn from Doman's

pseudoscientific treatments, but they have plenty to learn from his

marketing strategy " , which is aimed at parent's " hopes and fantasies " .

(if you read from this book sounds like he blames the mom so I'm

shocked anyone would support this method!!!)

http://books.google.com/books?id=kT8DbfNcU5wC & pg=PA57 & lpg=PA57 & dq=Kathleen+Ann+Q\

uill+doman & source=web & ots=y36f65kn6g & sig=y0Z1Xa1lvutcBW44YrmLNUhx3BQ & hl=en & sa=X & \

oi=book_result & resnum=1 & ct=result

A blog about it

" Ok...my Sister-in-law has a son who was born with Down Syndrome.

Such a gorgeous little guy.

My SIL is all business, but when she got pregnant we saw a new side

of her come out. Some emotion. Some Mothering. She is a high

powered business lady and she was thinking of being a stay at home

Mom! Too cool! The babe was born and the babe has DS. A lot of

upset in their home and for the family as might be expected when

things down go as planned. SIL was then definitely thinking SAHM.

Then she decided not to be a AHM and went with daycare (which is

provided by multi-billion dollar corporation for which she works).

They got involved pretty early with NACD. This has the hairs on the

back of my neck rasied. We checked out NACD at the same time we

checked out Son-rise. I listened to 16 CD's I think. 12 Lecture, 2

on Autism and 2 on parent reactions. Some of this clicked with me

(as I liked the medical model they were posing), but a WHOLE LOT did

not.

I went to my pediatrician who is very knowledgeable. He has been

doing this for 30 years and is very well-respected. In addition, he

keeps up with all the latest and he will get on the web and research

the heck out of anything you bring to him. I mention NACD and he has

not heard of it. He asks me about what they do. As soon as I

say, " Neurological disorganization " he stops me and says... " Is this

Glenn Doman? Are they based out of PA? " Well...it is a Doman and

they have a campus in PA. " He never gets animated about this stuff.

Very open to whatever you want to try, but is very protective of us

(and all his patients) and usually simply states that the more

expensive usually something is wrong. He gets animated about

Doman/Delacatto and states unequivocally that they are a scam.

Thatthey founded IAHP (The Institute for the Advancement of Human

Potential). He says that if you bring up their names at a conference

you will be laughed out of the hall and that they have been around

for a long time, switching names to stay alive with no external

research to back up their treatments.

WHOA!

I had googled negative stuff on NACD and could not find much. Now I

googled Doman. Yeah...there it was. Obviously, we did not go that

route (and I apologize to anyone here who is using this

successfully. This is simply my experience.

SIL is using NACD almost exclusively. She buys the whole enchilada.

She say that the Birth to Three therapists are " worthless. " She

sticks to a strict program with her babe. The kid is now a year old

and not crawling (belly only). With a PT he should be there by now.

She is passing on so many theapies and has no tolerance for anything

save NACD! She even says that if/when she has another kid even if

the kid is NT she is going to put him/her into the NACD program!

HOLY MOONIE BATMAN!

I can't say anyting can I? I know I can't. It just kills me!

The only good thing I see is that it has made her (and hopefully her

hubby) more involved with the kid. They have to be with the babe

2hours minimum per day. This is part of the program. That can never

hurt...all that 1:1 attention.

But the rest...it chaps my a$$.

Thanks for reading.

Good grief! She definitely sounds brainwashed if she would want to

follow a rigorous program for a child without special needs. I have

only heard of Doman used on children/people with severe brain

injuries, not Down syndrome.

No matter what you say, she will not change her mind so like you said

there's no point in arguing with her. But who knows, maybe modelling

good interaction with your autistic child will eventually rub off on

her.

Good luck with everything.

http://www.autism-pdd.net/testdump/test15578.

The Doman-Delacato patterning technique is pseudoscience because it

is premised on a bankrupt and discarded theory and, more importantly,

has failed to demonstrate any significant effectiveness under

controlled conditions, and yet it is being purveyed as an innovative

and effective treatment, and even possibly a cure. The IAHP and NACD

cannot support the claims that they make, and are therefore guilty of

fraud. Current regulations should prevent such abuse, but

unfortunately such institutions as the FDA lack the manpower and the

teeth to properly enforce such regulations and fulfill their role to

protect the public from the snake-oil salesman, dressed up in the

modern clothes of alternative medicine, that increasingly prey upon

the vulnerable, the sick, and the desperate.

http://trusted.md/feed/items/system/2008/03/12/brain_gym_educational_kinesiology\

_not_effective

=====

July 29, 2008

This cracks me up. I spent $3000 on useless speech therapy for my boy

last year for the most part. The Prompt Therapist was knowledgeable but

by the time we got him there her work was done. I only really did it to

be sure and based on this type of post here...did not want to go

against the grain like I did with the milk. I will spend $2520 this

year on NACD and I will know what it did and did not do. So far, from

what I can see, it is worth every penny. Part of that $ is for

continuous consult in case the program is too difficult. NACD has been

around as long as or longer as traditional therapy and is, in fact,

traditional therapy done right. The question is not one of who posts

about it but rather whether it works.

>

> Not the answer you were looking for but something to be aware of.

>

> Since 2000 NACD has only been brought up by 3 people here other than

> one or two in the past two years who bring it up lots and still bring

> it up today. The other one or two who tried it said it was too

> expensive or too difficult. In general it's best to follow the

> successful pattern in this group and most stuck with the norm therapy

> traditional and alternative. It's good to be aware there are other

> things out there but again you don't have to start with the most

> expensive ...and obscure. If it was that good more would say good

> things about it. There's much negative press and not at all on just

> this group as again the overwhelming majority never heard of it nor

> tried it. So personally I'd explore a proven to be successful for

> the majority Montessori or other multisensory school over this method.

>

> Just a few links but much more out there.

>

> Psychomotor Patterning

>

> An Expose of a Cruel Pseudoscience

>

> Novella, MD

>

> 10/1/1996

>

> The line which sharply demarcates mainstream medicine from

> alternative medicine is the line of science. It is possible to cross

> that line, however. Any alternative treatment which is tested in a

> rigorous scientific manner and found to be safe and effective, will

> be incorporated into mainstream medicine, it will have crossed the

> line. A therapy, on the other hand, which begins within the halls of

> mainstream medicine as a legitimate proposal, and is found, when

> tested scientifically, to be of no real value, will be discarded.

> Most such discarded therapies are destined to become forgotten

> footnotes in the annals of medical research. Some, however, are

> salvaged by practitioners of alternative medicine. These therapies

> have crossed the line in the other direction, descending from science

> into pseudoscience.

>

> The method of psychomotor patterning for the treatment of mental

> deficiencies is one such therapy. It began 30 years ago as a

> legitimate, if incorrect, scientific concept for a new treatment

> modality for mental retardation, brain injury, learning disabilities,

> and other cognitive maladies. The method was subjected to controlled

> trials and found to be of no value. It was debated in the scientific

> literature up until the early 1970's, when finally the medical

> community arrived at the consensus that patterning should be

> discarded as a false concept with no therapeutic role. Use of the

> techniques of patterning, however, has not died, as we will see.

>

> The concept of patterning was invented by Glenn Doman and C. Delacato

> in the 1960's, and is therefore often referred to as the Doman-

> Delacato technique.1 Their theories are primarily an extension of the

> older concept that ontogeny (the stages through which organisms

> develop from single cell to maturity) recapitulates phylogeny (the

> evolutionary history of the species). Therefore, the

> neurodevelopmental stages of crawling, creeping, crude walking, and

> mature walking through which normal children develop is directly

> related to the amphibian, reptilian, and mammalian evolutionary human

> ancestors. 2

>

> Doman and Delacato's concept of mental retardation is that of failure

> of the individual to develop through the proper phylogenetic stages.

> Their treatment modality is therefore designed to stimulate the

> proper development of these stages, each of which must be mastered

> before progress can be made to the next stage. This stimulation is

> achieved through the method known as patterning.

>

> The patterning treatment involves the patient moving repeatedly in

> the manner of the current stage. In the " homolateral crawling " stage,

> for instance, the patient crawls by turning his head to one side

> while flexing the arm and leg of that side and extending the arm and

> leg of the opposite side. For patients who are unable to execute this

> exercise by themselves, they are passively moved in this manner by 4-

> 5 adults, alternating back and forth in a smooth manner. This must be

> repeated for at least 5 minutes 4 times per day. The purpose of this

> exercise is to impose the proper " pattern " onto the central nervous

> system. In the full treatment program, the exercises are combined

> with sensory stimulation, breathing exercises which are designed to

> increase oxygen flow to the brain, and a program of restriction and

> facilitation designed to promote hemispheric dominance. 3

>

> The claim made for the technique by Doman, Delacato and their

> supporters is that, with this treatment method, mentally retarded and

> brain injured children can achieve improved, and even normal,

> development in the areas of visuo-spatial tasks, motor coordination,

> social skills, and intellect. They have also expanded these claims to

> include the idea that their techniques can promote superior

> development in a normal child. 4

>

> The theoretical basis of psychomotor patterning is therefore based on

> two primary principles, the recapitulationist theory of ontogeny and

> phylogeny, and the belief that passive movements can influence the

> development and structure of the brain. Delacato himself writes " Man

> has evolved phylogenetically in a known pattern. The ontogenetic

> development of normal humans in general recapitulates that

> phylogenetic process. We have been able to take children who deviate

> from normal development (severe brain injured) and through the

> extrinsic imposition of normal patterns of movement and behavior have

> been able to neurologically organize them sufficiently so that they

> can be placed within a human developmental pattern of crawling,

> creeping, and walking. " 3

>

> Medical treatments are evaluated on two criteria, their theoretical

> basis and their empirical value. Patterning has been rejected by the

> scientific community on both accounts. The theory of recapitulation

> has never been fully accepted, and even by the 1960's had been all

> but discarded by evolutionary and biological scientists.

>

> The essential flaw in the theory of recapitulation is that it is

> based on an incorrect linear concept of evolution. Evolutionary lines

> continuously branch and deviate, forming a complex bush of

> relationships, not a linear ladder of descent. Embryological

> development does not reflect the mature stages of other distant

> branches of this evolutionary bush. Studying the embryology of the

> developing fetus also does not reveal any evidence of successive

> stages reflecting past evolutionary ancestors.

>

> There is also no theoretical basis for the belief that patterns can

> be impressed upon the developing cortex. Brain development is

> genetically driven and involves a complex sequence of cell growth,

> migration, organization, and even programmed cell death.

> Abnormalities in this process can be caused by genetic flaws, toxic

> insults, infection, or biochemical abnormalities. There is no model

> by which any of these disparate causes can be influenced by passive,

> or even active, movement of the neck and limbs. Thirty years of

> subsequent neurological, embryological, and medical progress have

> failed to lend any theoretical support for Doman and Delacato's

> principles.

>

> Their practice of using breathing exercises to promote oxygen

> delivery to the brain also lacks an accepted theoretical basis. The

> brain and the cardiovascular system are designed to give highest

> priority to oxygen flow to the brain cells. Elaborate and powerful

> feedback mechanisms ensure adequate delivery. It is true that carbon

> dioxide retention, in this case achieved through breathing

> techniques, does increase blood flow to the brain. There is

> absolutely no reason to believe, however, that such increased flow is

> at all helpful to the developing brain.

>

> Despite the fact that patterning is theoretically bankrupt, if

> empirical evidence existed which demonstrated that patterning

> improves neurological development, it would be accepted and used.

> There are many mainstream interventions which are employed in modern

> medicine that lack a fully understood theoretical basis. Physicians

> are, at their heart, practical individuals, and if something works,

> it works. They require proof, however, that an intervention does

> indeed work and is safe.

>

> On this score, patterning has just not delivered. Over a period of

> approximately ten years in the late 60's and early 70's there were

> dozens of clinical trials comparing improvement in groups of

> developmentally delayed children given patterning treatment compared

> to controls who were given no treatment but similar amounts of

> attention. 2,5-7 Although most of the studies had significant

> methodological flaws, some were fairly well designed. None were

> perfect. More importantly, none confirmed the claims of Doman and

> Delacato.

>

> Some of the studies did show modest improvement in motor skills or

> visuo-spatial skills over controls. None showed improved intellectual

> development. The few positive results found were not impressive or

> reproducible. Eventually, such clinical trials stopped, as the

> technique was abandoned as a blind alley. This point marked the

> unequivocal crossing over of patterning from science to pseudoscience.

>

> The tragedy of this story does not stem from the fact that patterning

> is a failed theory. It is regrettable that patterning did not deliver

> as promised, for any legitimate treatment for brain injured and

> retarded children would be most welcome. The real tragedy began,

> however, when Doman and Delacato released their claims for a new

> dramatic treatment before their theories had been scientifically

> validated.

>

> This behavior, reminiscent of the cold fusion fiasco, is more than

> just professionally irresponsible. In physics, such behavior is

> merely bad form; when dealing with the desperate parents of brain

> injured children, it can be considered cruel. Doman and Delacato were

> widely criticized for publicizing their unsubstantiated claims,

> giving false hope to vulnerable parents and their afflicted children.

>

> The saga, however, did not end with the scientific death of

> patterning. Doman, Delacato and their associates began incorporating

> the patterning technique into their Institutes for the Achievement of

> Human Potential (IAHP), which was established in Philadelphia in the

> 1950's. They continued to advertise and use patterning uninterrupted

> right through the scientific controversy, past the scientific

> condemnation, and on into the present day.

>

> I was also able to locate one other institution, the National Academy

> of Child Development (NACD), located in Huntsville, Utah, that offers

> patterning as part of their treatment program. The NACD is run by

> Doman, the nephew of Glenn Doman, although both institutions

> are eager to point out that there is currently no association between

> the two.

>

> On August 8, 1996, NBC aired a program titled " Miracle Babies " ,

> hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford. The program included a segment

> portraying an apparent " miracle cure " of a child suffering from

> moderate mental retardation. As is all too typical of the lay press,

> Kathy Lee provided an emotionally appealing yet completely uncritical

> presentation of the patterning technique, touting its virtues without

> even a hint of skepticism. There was no evidence that NBC did any

> investigative reporting into the background and validity of the

> intervention they were promoting on their program.

>

> The segment did bring out, however, even if for the wrong reasons,

> the desperateness of the parents. They were clearly devastated, as

> any parents would be, by the need to finally accept that their child

> was not developing normally. In their desperation, they sought any

> possible hope, and it was offered to them by the IAHP. The hope that

> they purchased, however, came at a heavy price, both financial and

> emotional.

>

> Both the IAHP and the NACD rely heavily on the family as the primary

> deliverers of the patterning treatment method. In order to even reach

> the stage where their child can be enrolled into the aggressive

> treatment program, they must first complete a training and evaluation

> course which begin for both institutions with purchasing and

> listening to a set of audio tapes. The IAHP states in their

> literature that only the most dedicated and capable parents will make

> it to the final stage of treatment. The NACD appears less demanding,

> but they follow the same principle.

>

> The end result is that the parents and other family members of the

> patient must alter their lives to institute a daily program of

> patterning exercises, breathing exercises, and programs of sensory

> stimulation. The mother interviewed by Kathy Lee stated that the

> program was so demanding that it dominated her life, resulting in

> emotional and physical exhaustion. The exceptional demands of the

> patterning method is the primary reason cited in the medical

> literature for caution in evaluating patterning, for the obvious harm

> that would ensue if the method were recommended prematurely, without

> good proof that it is effective.

>

> The program also illuminated another important feature of the

> patterning phenomenon, the difference between anecdotal and

> scientific evaluation of its effectiveness. One important fact to

> understand is that most children, even severely mentally retarded

> children, still grow and develop, although on a slower curve than

> average. Therefore, any child admitted into any treatment program

> will make some progress as an inevitable consequence of time and

> their natural development, even if that treatment program is

> completely worthless. Without adequate controls, it is therefore

> impossible to evaluate any such treatment. Of course, Kathy Lee and

> the parents of the child on the program reported remarkable progress.

> Whether or not the treatments played any role, however, cannot be

> known. The viewers, however, were meant to come away with the sense

> that they had witnessed a miracle cure.

>

> The NACD and IAHP literature both caution that individual results

> will vary. By emphasizing the need for dedicated capable parents,

> they also create a situation in which, if a patient fails to make

> significant progress, the parents are the ones to blame. These

> parents now have the added guilt of feeling inadequate to have helped

> their injured child.

>

> Most practitioners of alternative medicine either practice or are at

> least accepting of many different forms of alternative cures. This

> results from the fact that if one has a casual, or even anti, science

> attitude regarding one alternative modality, then they will likely

> have a similar attitude towards other modalities. It is not

> surprising, therefore, that the NACD embraces other scientifically

> questionable practices.

>

> For instance, the NACD advertises on their web site that they also

> evaluate and treat for food sensitivities. Although there is not the

> space here to adequately address this complex issue, suffice to say

> that food sensitivities are controversial at best, and certainly lack

> scientific acceptance. The excerpt in the box below is quite

> revealing. 8 I doubt there are many children who do not have three or

> more of these symptoms, especially since many are vague or qualified

> enough to apply to anyone. The NACD also offers a consultation with

> an " orthomolecular physician. " Again, I will not delve into this

> issue here, but suffice to say such " physicians " are clearly outside

> of the mainstream.

>

> Unproved therapies can be harmful in many ways, not always by direct

> toxicity or physical harm. The promotion of psychomotor patterning by

> institutions which make bold unsubstantiated claims about its

> effectiveness may cause significant financial and emotional damage.

> Such claims instill false hope in people who are likely already

> plagued by guilt and depression. By doing so, these desperate parents

> are being set up for a crushing disappointment or further guilt of

> inadequacy. In the process they must spend a great deal of their

> resources of time, energy, emotion, and money. These resources are

> taken away from their other children and other important facets of

> their lives, resources they might not be willing to spend if not for

> the fantastic claims which have lured them to this path. They are

> also distracted from dealing with the situation in other practical

> ways and coping psychologically as a family with the reality of

> having a brain injured or mentally retarded child. They are

> encouraged, in fact, to remain in a state of denial while they are

> pursuing a false cure.

>

> The Doman-Delacato patterning technique is pseudoscience because it

> is premised on a bankrupt and discarded theory and, more importantly,

> has failed to demonstrate any significant effectiveness under

> controlled conditions, and yet it is being purveyed as an innovative

> and effective treatment, and even possibly a cure. The IAHP and NACD

> cannot support the claims that they make, and are therefore guilty of

> fraud. Current regulations should prevent such abuse, but

> unfortunately such institutions as the FDA lack the manpower and the

> teeth to properly enforce such regulations and fulfill their role to

> protect the public from the snake-oil salesman, dressed up in the

> modern clothes of alternative medicine, that increasingly prey upon

> the vulnerable, the sick, and the desperate.

>

> References:

>

> 1. Doman RJ, Spitz EB, Zucman E, Delacato CH, and Doman G: Children

> with severe brain injuries, Neurologic organization in terms of

> mobility. JAMA, 174:257, 1960

> 2. Cohen HJ, Birch HG, Taft LT: Some considerations for evaluating

> the Doman-Delacato " Patterning " method. Pediatrics, 45:302-14, 1970

> 3. Delacato CH: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Speech and Reading

> Problems. Springfield, Illinois: C , 1963.

> 4. Doman G, Delacato CH: Train Your Baby to be a Genius. McCall's

> Magazine, p. 65, March 1965

> 5. Neman R, Roos P, McCann BM, Menolascino FJ, Heal LW: Experimental

> Evaluation of Sensorimotor Patterning used with Mentally Retarded

> Children. Am J Mental Deficiency, 79:372-84, 1975

> 6. Ziegler E, S: On " An Experimental Evaluation of

> Sensorimotor Patterning " : A Critique. Am J Mental Deficiency, 79:483-

> 92, 1975

> 7. Freeman RD: Controversy Over " Patterning " as a Treatment for Brain

> Damage in Children. JAMA, 202:83-86, 1967

> 8. NACD website, URL-http://www.nacd.org/articles/food.html

> http://www.theness.com/articles.asp?id=56

>

> Kathleen Ann Quill 'Teaching children with autism' book: " thousands

> of families have wasted time and money to follow Doman's

> methods. " " Professionals have nothing to learn from Doman's

> pseudoscientific treatments, but they have plenty to learn from his

> marketing strategy " , which is aimed at parent's " hopes and fantasies " .

>

> (if you read from this book sounds like he blames the mom so I'm

> shocked anyone would support this method!!!)

>

http://books.google.com/books?id=kT8DbfNcU5wC & pg=PA57 & lpg=PA57 & dq=Kathleen+Ann+Q\

uill+doman & source=web & ots=y36f65kn6g & sig=y0Z1Xa1lvutcBW44YrmLNUhx3BQ & hl=en & sa=X & \

oi=book_result & resnum=1 & ct=result

>

> A blog about it

>

> " Ok...my Sister-in-law has a son who was born with Down Syndrome.

> Such a gorgeous little guy.

> My SIL is all business, but when she got pregnant we saw a new side

> of her come out. Some emotion. Some Mothering. She is a high

> powered business lady and she was thinking of being a stay at home

> Mom! Too cool! The babe was born and the babe has DS. A lot of

> upset in their home and for the family as might be expected when

> things down go as planned. SIL was then definitely thinking SAHM.

> Then she decided not to be a AHM and went with daycare (which is

> provided by multi-billion dollar corporation for which she works).

> They got involved pretty early with NACD. This has the hairs on the

> back of my neck rasied. We checked out NACD at the same time we

> checked out Son-rise. I listened to 16 CD's I think. 12 Lecture, 2

> on Autism and 2 on parent reactions. Some of this clicked with me

> (as I liked the medical model they were posing), but a WHOLE LOT did

> not.

> I went to my pediatrician who is very knowledgeable. He has been

> doing this for 30 years and is very well-respected. In addition, he

> keeps up with all the latest and he will get on the web and research

> the heck out of anything you bring to him. I mention NACD and he has

> not heard of it. He asks me about what they do. As soon as I

> say, " Neurological disorganization " he stops me and says... " Is this

> Glenn Doman? Are they based out of PA? " Well...it is a Doman and

> they have a campus in PA. " He never gets animated about this stuff.

> Very open to whatever you want to try, but is very protective of us

> (and all his patients) and usually simply states that the more

> expensive usually something is wrong. He gets animated about

> Doman/Delacatto and states unequivocally that they are a scam.

> Thatthey founded IAHP (The Institute for the Advancement of Human

> Potential). He says that if you bring up their names at a conference

> you will be laughed out of the hall and that they have been around

> for a long time, switching names to stay alive with no external

> research to back up their treatments.

> WHOA!

> I had googled negative stuff on NACD and could not find much. Now I

> googled Doman. Yeah...there it was. Obviously, we did not go that

> route (and I apologize to anyone here who is using this

> successfully. This is simply my experience.

> SIL is using NACD almost exclusively. She buys the whole enchilada.

> She say that the Birth to Three therapists are " worthless. " She

> sticks to a strict program with her babe. The kid is now a year old

> and not crawling (belly only). With a PT he should be there by now.

> She is passing on so many theapies and has no tolerance for anything

> save NACD! She even says that if/when she has another kid even if

> the kid is NT she is going to put him/her into the NACD program!

> HOLY MOONIE BATMAN!

> I can't say anyting can I? I know I can't. It just kills me!

> The only good thing I see is that it has made her (and hopefully her

> hubby) more involved with the kid. They have to be with the babe

> 2hours minimum per day. This is part of the program. That can never

> hurt...all that 1:1 attention.

> But the rest...it chaps my a$$.

> Thanks for reading.

> Good grief! She definitely sounds brainwashed if she would want to

> follow a rigorous program for a child without special needs. I have

> only heard of Doman used on children/people with severe brain

> injuries, not Down syndrome.

> No matter what you say, she will not change her mind so like you said

> there's no point in arguing with her. But who knows, maybe modelling

> good interaction with your autistic child will eventually rub off on

> her.

> Good luck with everything.

> http://www.autism-pdd.net/testdump/test15578.

>

> The Doman-Delacato patterning technique is pseudoscience because it

> is premised on a bankrupt and discarded theory and, more importantly,

> has failed to demonstrate any significant effectiveness under

> controlled conditions, and yet it is being purveyed as an innovative

> and effective treatment, and even possibly a cure. The IAHP and NACD

> cannot support the claims that they make, and are therefore guilty of

> fraud. Current regulations should prevent such abuse, but

> unfortunately such institutions as the FDA lack the manpower and the

> teeth to properly enforce such regulations and fulfill their role to

> protect the public from the snake-oil salesman, dressed up in the

> modern clothes of alternative medicine, that increasingly prey upon

> the vulnerable, the sick, and the desperate.

>

http://trusted.md/feed/items/system/2008/03/12/brain_gym_educational_kinesiology\

_not_effective

>

> =====

>

July 29, 2008

Re: 1196 article

Patterning, the type talked about there, was not what NACD did and

they no longer do full patterning at all from what I am told.

July 29, 2008

,

Considering I pay $142 a month for NACD.... I hardly think that's too expensive!

I know that new clients pay more now-a-days but not much more and that is

exactly what I pay..... I can email my invoices if you wish. It is NON-PROFIT!!

I believe that the first evaluation is $950. Believe me.... the airfair I pay

is more than the cost of our program. But considering the numerous therapies

that my son needed at the cost of $150 to $200 an hour..... NACD was the place

for me!

In addition, there are plenty out there doing NACD very successfully and perhaps

they don't have time to write on the boards. As a matter of fact, I went to

their Rendez-vous and met two others that are on this list who do not post

anymore. Perhaps they got scared off.

At NACD, I have gotten OT, PT, vision therapy, Auditory processing therapy, etc.

etc. The price is right but the work is hard since I am the therapist. THAT is

the downside of NACD..... it is a lot of work and takes committment. People

talk about it because it is working for their child.

I don't understand why you 'trash' things that you have no personal knowledge

of? Does not make sense. In the 9.5 years my son has spent in therapy.... Not

MUCH was achieved! 2 years of NACD and right now my boy has 3 friends over....

he just whipped the A student's butt in Scrabble and they are all in the back

right now playing football.

I hate to tell you what he 'used' to be like before NACD...... a special

education 'Lifer'. A kid with zero future and few friends.....

He just got back from a 10 day Adventure Camp in California where my dyspraxic

13 year old paddled around the Channel Islands, climbed mountains, body surfed,

and went riding for a few days. He flew there and back on his own, lugged

around an enormous duffle bag stuffed full of gear on his own, had a great time

and wants to do it again next year. His camp counselor actually contacted me to

tell me what a nice kid he was and how funny and popular he was with the other

boys. He was one of the youngest kids at the camp since the ages were from

13-17.

None of this would have been possible without the daily work that NACD had me do

with him.... none of it! But... it certainly was WORK!!!

Now-a-days, his program is MUCH easier and is really 'fine-tuning' his skills

and is dedicated towards academic advancement and becoming an accellerated

student. I would love that.... from being classified as 'severe' special

education kid to 'accellerated child'.... that one would be fun! But we do have

a ways to go before that happens but last year he received mostly B's with a

couple of A's and a C. He had no special accommodations and I am amazed at how

well he did. He has some problems with personal organization that need to be

worked on.

If you have a child with global dyspraxia..... not apraxia of speech..... but

global dyspraxia.... you have a 'mountain' of work ahead of you and believe

me.... if your child is not training like a marathon runner to build muscle

tone..... he is going to have trouble with many, many things. For instance....

hand writing requires good core body strength and stability. Tying shoe laces

requires good visual spatial ability. Our kids don't have this. Our kids fall

down the stairs and off out of their desks at school, their bodies are so weak.

My son couldn't tie his shoes until he was 10.... and that is about average for

the dyspraxic kid who doesn't get DRASTIC intervention. If you can't tie your

shoes at 10 years of age.... just think of the countless other things that you

cannot do! The list gets bigger and bigger as the child ages....

We have been wheedling that list down now and I am trying to think of a thing

that he cannot do that others can. It is wonderously amazing! And.... I will

scream to the world... to all of those little dyspraxic babies out there.... you

CAN get better.... you really, really CAN! (but it is darn hard work!)

My son JUST achieved right hand dominance..... this is supposed to come in at

the age of 6-7... he has been ambi-dexterous all of these years and I had been

certain that he would never get this developmental milestone and that it was too

late for him. BUT.... he got it and it is so important for him because this is

a Hallmark of dyspraxia.... being unable to cross the midline. So, it really is

never too late but you need the right help for the right condition.

I don't advocate NACD for those guys with just late talking issues or apraxia of

speech but for kids with ASD, Downs Syndrome (they really do well with DS kids),

CP and serious neurodevelopmental disorders, it is a wonderful place! The price

is right and the 'knowledge' base is there.

.... with all my respect but how familiar are you 'really' with global

dyspraxia? Do you have any idea how tough life is for these kids? Think about

that one for a while.... .... the bullying, the teasing, the taunting, the loss

of self-esteem not to mention the loss of your personal identity. If anyone

thinks that global dyspraxia can be conquored with 1 hour stints of therapy a

couple of times a week.... then they don't fully understand this condition. It

is an insidious monster that requires daily work to overcome.

The trick of it is.... it doesn't start out as being so bad. Your kid isn't too

much different then other kids. By grade one, he begins to be noticibly

'different' by grade 3..... he is extremely 'odd'. By grade 4.... demands of

regular school are way too much. It just gets worse and worse and worse over

time. By the time it actually 'dawns' on you how much different your child is

and how behind he is..... it is way toooooo late! You are now years and years

and years behind. It takes a real committment to get those years back.

I speak of my experience with NACD because it worked when nothing else did. But

I know that there are many other places to go to that offer neurodevelopmental

therapy such as Handle and INPP as well as ICAN. I am sure that these other

centres are just as good but I can offer no 'personal' experience tales since I

didn't do their program.

Again, no offense here but sometimes I think we are talking about Apples and

Oranges. There are some kids on this board who require a great deal of

intervention and there are others that do not. It is important not to

discriminate against those doing interventions that are more involved. Some of

the conditions we are treating are global in nature and affect the entire

function of a person. These conditions require more.... not less.

I believe that it is important that parent of global conditions know that they

need to work with their kids doing home therapy.... in whatever fashion they

can.... every single day. Again.... OT once or twice a week is a 'drop' in the

bucket. It is a mere band-aid by the system and our kids need reams of therapy.

The only way can be accomplished is at the home. I squeeze little therapy items

into my sons' day.... all day long. I don't even notice it anymore, I'm so used

to it! But, that has been the key to his recovery.

You will note that most of the people doing NACD don't write about it here but

do on ApraxiaDyspraxiaBiomedSupport .

Again, I respect your knowledge of speech therapy and of apraxia of speech but I

just don't think you 'get' the complexities of global dyspraxia. However, you

are a great person and it is GOOD to have constructive debate..... I will,

however, continue to defend NACD to the end.... they absolutely RESCUED my boy!

Janice

Mother of Mark, 13 global dyspraxia, 'almost' recovered (got some gut stuff

left!)

[sPAM][ ] Re: Neurodevelopmental therapies?