Neurotherapy For Professionals
I hope the following overview will give a clear sense of what The HANDLE® Institute’s work is about. I also describe the essence of my work, as a graduate of The HANDLE Institute.
Background and Philosophy
Judith Bluestone, HANDLE Institute founder, received local and federal Jefferson Awards for outstanding public service in 2004. Judith’s motivation started out as a solution to the riddle of her own autism. To find out more about her extraordinary life and accomplishments you can read, Out of one woman's suffering springs help for others, published by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. She also wrote her own book entitled The Fabric of Autism. The HANDLE Institute’s Web site is another wonderful source for more information.
Judith Bluestone's pioneering work in applied neuroscience lead to an approach called Gentle Enhancement®. She provided the world with a tool: a gentle, compassionate, respectful, science-based and holistic approach, that makes the world more comfortable for those with neurological differences.
Through the HANDLE lens, challenging behaviors are viewed as ways the body communicates irregularities in the central, autonomic and enteric nervous systems. This holistic view includes accounting for energetic fields that form the basis of all information we receive from the external world and process internally.
Gentle Enhancement is just that—gently enhancing our learning ability. We teach people to respect how much input their systems can use at any given time. Through Gentle Enhancement we improve our ability to learn efficiently by learning to organize our bodies, our senses, our lives.
"Stressed systems don't get stronger," Judith frequently reminded us.
Applied to movement based programs we recognize reddening ears, change in muscle tone, dizziness, as signs to avoid. We discern and use strengths to gently enhance weak systems. People move into function from dysfunction, to order from chaos. With diligence, extraordinary people can do ordinary things. Can, in fact, do extraordinary things! This truth is exemplified by the life of Judith Bluestone.
"It became clear in first grade that my 6-year-old granddaughterhad dyslexia and a weak eye movement system. The HANDLE
screening with Kate Bowers identified the physical difference,
and daily exercises began to move her in the right direction. She
shows improved ability to concentrate and her performance in
reading and on her weekly spelling tests is improving."
-Jean Ferrier, MD
The effectiveness of HANDLE therapy is supported by published research. For a more personal account, you can read the Seattle Times article, Parents frustrated by many ADHD treatment options, by Melinda Tsuchiya.
Focus
From a HANDLE perspective, we look at affected systems without attaching labels. A child called ADHD or a 60 year-old adult with minimal brain injury will receive a program tailored to their specific needs. People with Traumatic Brain Injury, on the severe end of the autism spectrum, or having severe developmental disabilities receive a full evaluation, while those on the milder end of neurological challenges receive a less expensive and quicker screening. Neuroscience now recognizes what The HANDLE Institute has asserted about neuroplasticity for the last 14 years: creating neural pathways to increase learning potential and efficiency remains possible across the life span.
From a personal perspective my certification allows me to screen individuals ages five and up with mild neurological challenges. Clients whose challenges are beyond the scope of my certification I refer to the Handle Institute International, LLC, for a full evaluation. I come with the family, if they desire, for support and to help sustain motivation for following through on their program.
Screenings and Programs
Assessments (either full evaluations or briefer screenings) include observing interdependent sensory systems in order to understand challenging and puzzling behaviors such as impulsivity, distractibility, hyperactivity, reading and math challenges, etc. Systems observed include vision (tracking, convergence, perception), audition, vestibular functioning, hyperactivity, muscle tone and proprioception, among others.
Activities based on HANDLE’s approach using Gentle Enhancement® are movement based and admittedly look child-centered regardless of the client’s age (individual differences including age and gender are always considered). Individualized programs usually require 20 minutes daily practice and the pace of progress depends on regularity of practice, age, and severity of challenges. Clients who discontinue their program frequently lose gained functions, but resumption of the program can put them back on track.
Services
The HANDLE Institute has designated me to represent them in Skagit and Island Counties. My affiliation with The HANDLE Institute includes collaborating with them and access to their knowledge and experience. My goal is to partner with local doctors, schools, non-profits and individuals to bring HANDLE’s unique, gentle approach to understanding and helping children in our community with learning and behavioral challenges which can be addressed through the HANDLE approach, and to adults with mild neurological differences or those aging who would like to prevent the cognitive decline associated with the aging process.
As part of this service I offer support to parents in the form of referrals to health providers who can address specific issues, writing letters to teachers and counselors on behalf of parents, meeting with family, parents, and counselors to help encourage understanding on behalf of children. Advocacy includes providing language to discuss temporary compensatory measures or to aid in the understanding of issues so as to remove blame and guilt.
Local professionals with relevant training and knowledge are difficult to locate. Sharing an increasing network of Skagit County professionals gives people a place to start.
For those seeking a non-drug approach or a secondary resource in addition to pharmaceuticals, the HANDLE approach can make all the difference in the world.