Mom A got calls weekly and then daily as a result of extreme behavior from her daughter in school. Tantrums. Refusals to join in on the group work. Failure to follow the daily activities for all children. Then came the fights at home with siblings. There was already talk of retention and the family was becoming overwhelmed with the emotion of this little girl. Keep in mind, this child was 4 years of age.
Mom B was called into the office of the Assistant VP at school nearly every other day for a full 5 months. Her daughter was unable to play appropriately with class mates. Lunch was almost impossible to get through. Family members were at a loss. They didn’t know what to do with the medical terms given, the medicines discussed, and they felt like no plan was offered.  This child was almost 6 years old.
Mom C had changed her son’s school 3 times. He was born with some medical issues (physical) but was otherwise quite intelligent; close to gifted. He refused to read in class. Task avoidance was random and at times, highly emotional. Teachers saw that he was struggling but were challenged with how to help him without taking time away from the class. Mom was trying a lot of options from therapy, to foods, to herbs. This child was 8 years of age.
Each family may sound very similar.  You may be surprised to know that the approach with each one was incredibly different – none involved medication. The important focus: address the unique needs and challenges of the child, identify the roles of each person involved, and devise an easy (acceptable) series of steps to put into play.
Heather Lascano , CEO of Neuro Touch Inc. (www.synapse-sync.org), provided help with educational and advocacy supports to each of these families. The first step: a private one-on-one meeting to review medical input, progress reports, teacher updates, development history, family accounts, and methods attempted. Together, options were discussed, and an agreed plan of action was made. The actions typically involved 1-2 homework tools to try. Each week, the plan of action was discussed and modified as needed. When asked, Heather met with the teachers to address what was being done at home, how the teacher could help to support it, learn what went on in class, and answer any questions.
What were the outcomes? Mom A: One meeting and nearly a complete turnaround in just 3 days! The teachers were amazed and so was mom. There was a significant shift in stress of the home. Mom B: through several home visits, 3 school visits, and a series of phone calls, her daughter became calm, learned appropriate play, joined play dates with others, and started smiling a lot more. Mom C: following the one-to-one meeting, her son was more fully assessed by a referred local professional and is now in an intense therapy program to help several vision-related challenges. The program was initiated in early summer to instill dramatic changes before the new school year starts.
With a growing number of children being diagnosed with learning issues (academic or behavior), the education of children is becoming overwhelming. Overwhelming for parents, for teachers, for administrators, and other related professionals in our communities. In the role of advocate (for parent, child, or educator), Mrs. Lascano draws upon experiences utilizing sensory motor movement, brain development, coaching, parenting tips, positive psychology, and outside-the-box tools. Connections between Neuro Touch Inc. and other local professionals ensures additional options and resources can be provided to those who are seeking help for a child or family concern.
Neuro Touch Inc.          ‘’bridging connections in education’’         www.synapse-sync.org