On January 15, 2009 an 8 yr. old male presented for Assessment that had been diagnosed by two Speech Pathologists with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (aka Developmental Dypraxia) and Auditory Processing Disorder. He was also diagnosed by a Medical Doctor with ADD. He was given 7 years of speech therapy which helped him advance sufficiently to communicate. His first two years of public school he received services from a Speech Therapist, an Occupational Therapist, a Physical Therapist, a Special Education Teacher and an Aid that was by his side the duration of school hours. (He could not work independently.) He also participated in FastforWord reading program both years.
This client was diagnosed with Microencephaly in utero. The doctors were concerned additionally because the occipital opening around his brain stem appeared to be too large. When he was born he looked normal but as time passed he showed developmental delays. He was tested at age 18 months and began speech therapy at age 2. From his earliest age he was shy and withdrawn. He did not smile and it was believed he did not have the muscular ability to smile. He was a stiff baby and did not like to be cuddled. At age 4 his vocabulary was 20 words.
According to the mother, before brainwave optimization training, any time he did not like what was happening to him or around him he ran away and hid. When his mother called him he would not respond, requiring her to find him. He never smiled and I was told he did not have the muscles to smile. He did not like to be cuddled. He has limited, if any, social awareness. It took him hours to complete homework. He could not be given more than one task at a time. He never played make-believe games. He could not tell the difference between fiction and reality. He did not like jokes, did not laugh at them, and could not understand even a knock- knock joke. He never demonstrated any concern or affection toward his siblings. He struggled with reading and therefore did not like to read. He would not play with older children as they intimidated him. Girls usually played with him because he was passive and they could control the playing. He was uncoordinated to the point of injuries that required medical attention. If he participated in a game, it was at someone else’s request and he never made up rules. He was not assertive in asking for what he needed or wanted. He was unable to work unassisted in the classroom. He was held back last year to repeat 1st grade this year. He was rarely “present” – he always seemed to be somewhere else in his mind. He had great difficulty memorizing anything. After speaking a sentence he would quietly repeat the sentence to himself to make sure he got it right. He learned simple sign language to communicate until he could speak at age 5/6.
This child was able to cooperate in an assessment with the aid of his father. He would not interact with me, mumbled when spoken to with incomplete sentences and refused eye contact. He was given first grade tasks which he was able to complete enough to get good clean data on the assessment. The brain map showed the following predominance: very high Temporal activity on the left, high midline activity in the Frontals, low SMR at C4, higher Betas in the Occipitals and Parietals than the Frontals.
First day of training (Jan. 24) the child ran and hid so he would not have to come in. Parental coaxing got him in the chair. He was again unwilling to interact or work with me but cooperated as the parents bribed him with something if he cooperated. I did daily sessions over a two week period that ran anywhere from 22 minutes to 56 minutes, with most running less than 48. I focused on quieting the left temporals, and each lobe bilaterally (TT, OO, PP, CC, FF). I ran C4 SMR up and quieting of the midline the second week.
It is now 2 weeks later. We have completed 618 minutes of brain training. HE IS A DIFFERENT CHILD. From the first day of brainwave optimization training, when he could only handle 28 minutes, we have watched this child literally wake up.
He laughs, he smiles, he giggles, he plays, he cuddles, he reads, he plays make-believe, he gets his homework done in minutes, he can complete his math in school without assistance, he is showing compassion and concern toward his younger siblings, he can memorize, he is more coordinated, he can follow 2-step directions, he answers when called, he interacts when spoken to, he independently initiates conversation, he can be reasoned with, he is present and show social awareness. His teacher just announced he will be going into the 3rd grade next year.
He is scheduled for follow-up sessions in March. It has been a pleasure serving this child.
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November 9, 2009
Follow-up – testimonial from the mom
Talking about my son before brain state conditioning is actually quite difficult for me. It always takes me back to a very difficult and painful period in our life. I had a child who I could not reach no matter how much I loved him and tried to help him. Interacting with him always left me feeling inadequate as a mother and it hurt that my son was not capable of showing affection for me. I had immense feelings of guilt thinking that somehow I might be the reason he was the way that he was. My heart was broken, but we persevered. We tried everything we could to help him and were having some small successes, but I saw a very dark future for my son. Living with the disabilities he had must have been very confusing and frustrating and lonely. He would often react to new situations by completely withdrawing or if he was in a safe enough place exploding in tantrums that were becoming increasingly violent as he grew older. My son was handicapped but mental handicaps are unseen. I felt that I was the only one pushing his “mental wheel chair”. And I was exhausted.
You can only imagine how many people told us we could change our son by trying this medication or changing his diet or swinging him or hugging him tightly. We always tried the suggestions and hoped. But nothing cured him.
When we first discovered brain state conditioning, I thought it was another “voodoo” therapy. But, what impressed me the most about brain state conditioning is that we were able to see a visual and real depiction of the abnormalities in my son’s brain. I describe it as being able to see an x-ray of a broken bone. After his treatment the tests showed a marked and different brain. We saw it! Finally someone could give me tangible proof that their treatment worked.
We also saw drastic changes in my son’s abilities. After only the second day of treatment, I was driving home with my son in the backseat. As I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw something weird about him. I thought something was wrong and pulled over and really looked at him. I couldn’t place it for a few moments, but finally realized that my son was smiling. I had never really seen my son smile before. It was so rare that when I saw him doing it I thought something was wrong with him. I cried and called my husband. I wish I had a recording of that conversation.
We try not to look back and stare at the past, but I do want to attest to the fact that we have a very different child after brain state conditioning. I would even go so far as to say we found the cure for apraxia! The world of learning has opened up for him and he has made grade level jumps in every school subject. He has an amazing and endearing personality that we never saw before. Creative and colorful stories flow from him and he has an insatiable desire to build and explore. We cherish every day of cuddles and hugs and jokes and lightness that is our home now. We can’t wait to see what the future is going to bring!
D.M.,
Mother
For more information contact Cherylee Lisonbee, DC in Pinedale, AZ.
Tags: ADD, Apraxia Speech, Auditory Processing Disorder, Brain Conditioning, Testimonial
