| Another Way of Looking at Developmental | | | | being made. There does not seem to be any |
| Difficulty By Rodger Bailey, MS What if the | | | | major advancement because everyone is |
| current medical, psychological, and | | | | sticking within their paradigms. Advancements |
| pharmaceutical approaches to developmental | | | | all seem to be in how to get more precise |
| difficulties are all on the wrong track? What | | | | labels and descriptions. No one seems to be |
| if there was a cultural solution to these | | | | coming forward with anything significant in |
| problems that you could do at home and all | | | | the areas of treatment or prevention. I |
| the symptoms would be gone in a few months? | | | | recently visited a university and talked with |
| The current 'wisdom' for these developmental | | | | a director of the psychology department. This |
| difficulties is that there is no cure, you | | | | department of this university was focusing on |
| might grow out of some of the symptoms over | | | | Autism and Asperger's (a high functioning |
| time, but you really need to take these | | | | form of Autism). Their education and their |
| medications that are prescribed. And, you may | | | | research efforts were focused on identifying |
| need to take the medications for the rest of | | | | the minute and precise symptom differences |
| your life. Developmental difficulties or | | | | between Autism and Asperger's. The |
| developmental delay or developmental problems | | | | 'Psychology' paradigm for these disorders is |
| shows up as some combination of these | | | | that there is no cure and there never will |
| conditions: * A lack of focus and | | | | be. They are not looking for a cure. They are |
| concentration * Poor coordination * | | | | only focusing on how to get better at the |
| Inability to do anything for more than a few | | | | diagnosis of these conditions. When I told |
| seconds * Inability to sit still * | | | | this university psychology department |
| Inability for follow instructions * | | | | director of my own personal experiences of |
| Inability to connect to the context * | | | | working with hundreds of children with these |
| Impulsivity * Extreme sensitivity to light, | | | | conditions who lost their symptoms, he |
| sound, or touch * Poor self control * Poor | | | | explained that there is no way to achieve |
| self image and self esteem * Poor athletic | | | | symptom reduction and elimination. My |
| performance * Poor musical performance * | | | | experience did not fit his paradigm, so it |
| Poor academic performance * Poor speech | | | | was not something he could hear. I |
| development * Poor emotional development | | | | approached this university in search of |
| * Poor social development The current | | | | graduate students who need research projects |
| diagnostic process for developmental | | | | for their doctoral studies. Their paradigm is |
| difficulties involves identifying how many of | | | | so strong, no one from that university wanted |
| these behaviors a child displays. But, what | | | | to explore my techniques, even though I have |
| if none of these specific behaviors is really | | | | remarkable results with developmental |
| important with respect to a solution for the | | | | difficulties. The same is true for medical |
| child? What if the solution is something | | | | doctors, clinical psychologists, and |
| really basic? In the last few years, I have | | | | teachers. They think there is no way to fix |
| worked with over 300 children and adults who | | | | these conditions and so they concentrate on |
| have developmental difficulties. My | | | | precisely identifying these conditions. All |
| experience is that between 70% and 80% lose | | | | efforts for treatment are designed to help |
| all their 'symptoms' by following a rigorous | | | | parents, teachers, and other children cope |
| exercise program. I'll tell you more about | | | | with the children with these conditions. |
| this later. Discoveries uncovered in research | | | | What will happen when we talk about a program |
| in the last few years are leading to new | | | | you can do at home for 40 minutes per day, |
| paradigms in many fields. In many instances, | | | | three days per week, for only three months, |
| a multidiscipline approach is leading to new | | | | and all the symptoms will be gone in six |
| insights because of the unique | | | | months? This does not fit the current |
| frames-of-reference from those multiple | | | | paradigm, so the 'professionals' will not |
| disciplines. Many people working together | | | | review it, study it, prescribe it, or tell |
| from different fields are sharing ideas and | | | | anyone about it. For them, this does not fit |
| learning from each other. These shared ideas | | | | their current paradigm, so it cannot exist. |
| are leading to dramatic improvements in | | | | Well, there is hope. If you want to read |
| understanding for all involved. However, in | | | | about my paradigm of Developmental Difficulty |
| the areas of developmental difficulties, many | | | | (which includes how-to solutions), read |
| disciplines are all looking at the problem, | | | | through my website: If you have someone in |
| but few are sharing what they are | | | | your family with some of these conditions, |
| discovering. Because they are holding onto | | | | contact me by email and I will be glad to |
| their own paradigms, little advancement is | | | | guide you to a solution for them. |