Welcome to the Lighthouse Parent's Blog
Do you have a child with a neurobehavioral disorder like ADHD, Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, Seizures/Epilepsy, Learning Disability, Language Disorders, Tourette’s or other Tic disorders? Or maybe you parent a child that had a traumatic or toxic experience while in the womb, while being born, or just after and now experiences sensory-processing, emotion regulation, academic, and/or behavioral problems. As you probably know, this means your child is having problems meeting the demands of the world at least partially because their brains are not functioning well enough. In the past, scientists have led the world to believe that the brain is a static and unchangeable organ. The best a parent could hope for was to help the child cope with their dysfunctional neurology.
In 1964, Bennet and Diamond, published the first of a very long list of research that clearly shows that the brain is in fact the most flexible and changeable organ in the body. Not only is it able to change, it actually wants to. This concept is called Neuroplasticity and it is the underlying mechanism of almost all treatments for Neurodevelopmental disorders. This blog is for those of you out there who have hope for your children and understand how profoundly children’s lives can be changed if you have the right information, drive, perseverance, and a little bit of luck.
The world of services and therapies for kids with brain issues can be daunting, confusing, and utterly frustrating. My hope is to shine a light to help you find your way to the place of wholeness and wellbeing that you want for your child.
I am a behavior analyst (BCBA), neurotherapist, and relaxation trainer. I was also trained as a psychotherapist in Gestalt and body-centered psychotherapy. I have trained other clinicians in Attachment-Informed Behavior therapy, crisis management, and relaxation training. I consult and provide workshops in Colorado school districts. I have meditated in the Zen and Tantric traditions for 25 years. I love children and get no greater pleasure in life than to see them overcome their challenges.
Before getting into specific posts, the audience should know that I believe that in most cases the use of medications, especially when no other developmental therapies are being used, negatively impacts the process of neuroplasticity and therefore should be limited or avoided all together. There are many cases were medications are necessary and the best of all possible options, but there are many more (at least in my experience) where the benefits do not outweigh the costs. I think one of the most important clinical goals for many kids is to develop to the point where they do not need medications to help them regulate their brain functioning.
So this blog is intended to help families find and use therapies and techniques that they can use to help their children learn to regulate their own brains. If their brains are working better, they have better control over their behavior and they learn more from their experiences. When that happens, they live better lives and are happier.
Stay tuned….
