| Developmental Disability includes | | | | children having these types of problems |
| Autism, Asperger's, PDD and other | | | | in my neighborhood. I remember that |
| diagnoses. Developmental Delay includes | | | | maybe 5% to 10% might have had these |
| ADD, Learning Disability, Dyslexia, and | | | | kinds of problems, but I do not think it |
| more. Then there is Global Developmental | | | | amounted to 33%. |
| Disorder and Auditory Processing | | | | What is a developmental problem? |
| Disorder, and I don't know where they | | | | In basic terms, it is some interruption |
| fit in the official structure of | | | | in the developmental process. All living |
| diagnostic categories, but I know they | | | | things move through a life cycle. Much |
| are a developmental problem. | | | | of the early phases of that life cycle |
| I have been working with children with | | | | are spent in developing. From conception |
| developmental problems for a few years. | | | | to maturity, all living entities move |
| I use the terms developmental problems | | | | through a series of milestones. For us |
| to encompass everything from | | | | humans, we refer to these as our |
| Developmental Disability to | | | | developmental milestones. |
| Developmental Delay, and even more. In | | | | For children with developmental |
| our consulting program we consider them | | | | problems, they do not move through their |
| all fundamentally the same. They differ | | | | steps appropriately. They get stuck at |
| only by degrees. We have developed | | | | some of the steps. They skip some steps. |
| protocols which succeed with all of the | | | | So, many of the early learning processes |
| developmental problems. Our technique | | | | needed for appropriate maturity, are |
| cultivates the child's hidden capability | | | | skipped. And, in some cases a child gets |
| for becoming age-appropriate. | | | | stuck in a stage and does not pass out |
| How many are affected? | | | | of it on to the next developmental |
| All of these developmental problems add | | | | stage. |
| up to about 28 million children in | | | | In my opinion, all of the unique |
| America. The Census Bureau reports there | | | | diagnostic categories are related to |
| a total of 85 million children in | | | | some simple elements. In which |
| America. The APA (American Pediatric | | | | developmental steps did the child get |
| Association) tells us that one in every | | | | stuck or which steps did the child lose? |
| six children have a diagnosis for some | | | | How intense is the 'stuckness?' And, how |
| developmental problem (16.7%). The | | | | many steps did the child lose? |
| different associations for all of the | | | | What can be done about it? |
| individual diagnostic categories of | | | | All of the different diagnostic label |
| developmental problems all agree when | | | | associations in the field of |
| they tell us that about 50% of the | | | | developmental problems are clearly |
| children with these problems obtain a | | | | speaking on one voice when they say that |
| diagnosis for their problem (for a total | | | | the 1) developmental process is blocked |
| of 33%). And, one third of 85 million is | | | | and that 2) there is no cure. |
| 28 million children. | | | | Researchers in this field do not know |
| That means that 33% of all the children | | | | what to do to solve developmental |
| in every class have some degree of | | | | problems. Nothing that they try affects |
| developmental problem. Maybe it shows up | | | | the developmental process. For decades |
| as an inability to focus or sit still. | | | | professionals have tried everything they |
| Maybe it shows up as an inability to | | | | can think of to do and nothing works. |
| learn basic skills. Maybe it shows up as | | | | After all these frustrating years, they |
| an inability to hit a ball. Maybe it is | | | | have finally agreed with each other that |
| so intensive, the children never learn | | | | there is no cure. And, now it is |
| to connect to the context. Maybe it is | | | | officially agreed. All of the diagnostic |
| mild and only an inconvenience to the | | | | associations and all of the committees |
| child and the parents. | | | | creating the diagnostic definitions have |
| In whatever form, developmental problems | | | | agreed that there is no cure. Now, they |
| seem to be growing in numbers. We are | | | | invest all of their research funding on |
| certainly getting more precise with our | | | | finding causes instead of finding fixes |
| diagnoses. And, we are certainly | | | | for 28 million children with these |
| advanced as a country so that we offer | | | | developmental problems. |
| those testing services to more families | | | | They have attempted many things, but |
| who otherwise could not afford it. But, | | | | they have not attempted everything. |
| I am not sure this is the reason we have | | | | With our process your children plug the |
| 33% of our children with developmental | | | | holes in their movement through the |
| problems. | | | | developmental milestones. Our technique |
| When I was a child in school, many years | | | | cultivates the child's hidden capability |
| ago, I do not remember 33% of the | | | | for becoming age-appropriate. |