What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child

I don't know where to begin. About 8 months ago my life took a dramatic turn. Someone introduced me to Glenn Doman's work, and I began reading all of his books. They were basic parenting books -- how to give your children knowledge, each them certain things, etc. I thought of Callie as I read the pages, though my friend said she thought it would be good for Samantha too. I thought it was nice that she was thinking of Samantha but thought that this stuff was all way beyond her capabilities. It wasn't until a few months ago that I read What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child. This book is, to say the least, revolutionary. At least it was for me. In it, he details all their research and how his program came to life.

After fighting in the Battle of the Bulge (interesting), Glenn Doman became a physical therapist where he worked with many stroke patients -- old and young. After a years time of massaging, stretching, doing exercises...no one showed any improvement, and some, even, were worse. How could this be? He was devestated and wanted answers. What he realized was that the traditional methods were only attempting to correct the symptoms of the real problem. The real problem is what he calls "brain injury." The injured brain could have received its injury before the baby was even born. Or, the injury could have occurred later...post-natal. Of course this is the reader's digest version of the reader's digest....but he got a team together -- with Temple Faye (renowned neurologist...interesting article using his methods for autism found here) and other knowledgeable people in their fields -- to work together to come up with some answers. Why aren't people getting better? How do we fix the brain? What are parents supposed to do with their brain-injured children?

(Let me take a moment to express how I feel about the term "brain-injured." I personally like it. Instead of a daughter who is labeled with a diagnosis of such and such and this is the prognosis, I have a daughter who has an injury and who has the potential to "heal." I'm not saying Samantha's going to miraculously "be healed," nor am I expecting that she'll be at 100% in 3 months from now, or possibly ever. However, to me, this term more accurately describes Samantha and her friends. She may not currently appear to be whole, but before her prenatal "genetic injury," she was ... and she can be restored to that one day. And in the meantime, she has the ability to progress towards that. This could be a post all on its own.)
After coming up with a new "plan" to help their patients, the results were phenomenal. As they did "exercises" that "exercised" the brain, not just the twisted leg or the tight arms, patients were walking who had been in wheelchairs their entire lives, blind patients were seeing, deaf patients were hearing. Nearly 100% of their patients showed improvement after a year's time, and most showed significant improvements.

Doman and his team didn't claim to be miracle workers...just doctors who wanted to really fix the problem. The problem was the brain, not hands that are too tight, ackward or clumsy movements, ataxia, shallow breathing, etc. He admits there are a few cases that they couldn't help. But due to the impressive results, the team received funding necessary to open a clinic and doctors and patients were coming from all over the world to Philadelphia to see and learn for themselves. That institute is still there. They still see patients. Other institutes throughout the world have been opened (Japan, Argentina, Brazil) to do this work within their own regions and are also seeing the same incredible results.

What is interesting to me, aside from the dramatic results that they saw, is that at one time these methods were considered extremely radical...yet today, some of these methods are widely used. Patterning. Oxygen therapy. Some of this stuff doesn't sound so strange anymore. Though some of the old school traditional methods are still used, they are often blended with the discoveries made by Doman and his team decades ago. They are becoming more and more mainstream.

Before reading this book, I began to understand how good this could be for Sammy. My husband, a more scientific mind than my own -- a doctor and skeptic on most things I suggest for treatment for our Sammy, and I both felt really good about this and decided to do therapy based on Doman's research. Once I read the book, I was even more certain that this was right for us. I've since read other books that I find fascinating...that show the same type of results based on similar types of research...and it excites me! It's so amazing how we have the ability to change our brains.

In fact, another book I highly recommend (though I'm not done reading it) is The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. (Excerpt from his the book's website: The brain is not, as was thought, like a machine, or “hardwired” like a computer. Neuroplasticity not only gives hope to those with mental limitations, or what was thought to be incurable brain damage, but expands our understanding of the healthy brain and the resilience of human nature.) Incredible. This is awesome stuff and supports Doman's research, though Doidge in no way meant to do so.

In commencing Sammy's new therapy, we didn't fly out to Phili, but there is a therapist who lives in Texas -- a mother turned therapist (because of her own son's special needs), who flew out to us. She spent an non-intrusive day in our home with Sammy, evaluating, testing, and then setting up a specific individual plan for her. She taught us what to do. We touch base weekly on Sammy's progress. And in 6 months, she returns to San Jose, California to meet with us and many other families she is working with in the area. Yes, I'm obviously excited about this, but I'm also realistic (I think). This requires a lot of work from me. Because of Samantha's level of development, I'm doing a lot of small things each day...each taking anywhere from 10-60 seconds each, but doing each 10x a day. It seems like no big deal, but it does take time and scheduling. One aspect of the research that I particularly find comforting is that anything helps. Anything I can get done, even if I don't get it all done in a day, anything will help her brain make those nueron changes and create the proper new paths for ______ to start functioning as it should. I haven't done my job as therapist perfectly, but we are seeing progress. And that allows me to not beat myself up and feel pretty good about whatever I can get done.

I don't believe I'm as naive to believe that Samantha is going to be "cured" or miraculously "healed," but I do have faith that the changes and improvements we are seeing will continue...and I would even say spiritual confirmation that we have commenced the proper course for Samantha to achieve her potential. I'm not looking for Samantha to be healed, I'm looking for her to be the little girl Heavenly Father intended her to be in this lifetime. For many reasons, He intended her to be microcephalic, with seizure disorder, developmental delay, etc. I'm ok with that. But I also want to be doing and learning what I'm supposed to in this lifetime as well, and becoming who I'm supposed to be, too.

Whether you plan on changing your methods of therapy for your child or not, I recommend this book. It's easy to read and understand and if anything, it's very eye opening.

(I obviously feel very passionately about this, and please, if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask and with my limited knowledge and experience I can try to answer or lead you to someone who may have the answer.)