Most of my 25+ years in Alaska have been involved in trying to help
children live more complete and full lives. As I worked in various
aspects of Special Education around the state, I realized that schools
were seriously missing the mark for many of the children with whom I
worked. The children who most drew my attention were the ones who
didn't make it in traditional education. They had labels. They were
different. They moved really fast or really slow; noises and smells
and lights often bothered them; they sometimes didn't look like other
kids; and many of them were desperately lonely. There is an old saying
that “all children can learn.” The question, then, is: Why do some
children not learn?
Indeed, why
did some children behave in ways that seemed strange or out of
control? Why did some of the children I worked with cover their ears
when someone used the pencil sharpener? Why did some put their heads
down on the desk, insist on wearing a cap or hood, or crawl under the
desk? Why did some pull away when someone took their hand? Why did
some scream when the fire alarm would sound? Why did some become
groggy or wild after lunch? Why did some look away when talking to
you, or take long pauses before answering a question? Why did some
constantly fidget? Why did some seemingly “get it” one day and not
the next? All these things baffled me and those with whom I worked. We
could not find answers for these children.
Near
retirement, I took an introductory course on the HANDLE approach
(Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency). The
instructor was Cathy Stingley, who is both the European Regional
Education Director and Director of HANDLE of Homer. She taught the
concepts developed by Judith Bluestone, whose triumph over her own
significant neurodevelopmental difficulties led to the founding of the
HANDLE approach.
During the
introductory course I learned that some behaviors are our unconscious
attempts to get our poorly functioning systems to function optimally.
By careful observation of outward behaviors, HANDLE practitioners
develop deceptively simple programs of activities based on scientific
knowledge, which can actually make positive change at any stage of
life, with any level of developmental differences.
HANDLE looks
at the whole person: what happened before, during and after birth.
This includes reactions to sound and light, to physical input, to
motor planning, to interpersonal relationships, to the neurological
system, to the digestive system and so much more. I learned during the
class about neuroplasticity, the lifelong ability of the brain to
build new neural pathways. And I learned that we're never too young or
too old—or too different—to make positive change.
Gentle
Enhancement, a trademark of HANDLE, recognizes that stressed systems
shut down. Therefore the “no pain, no gain” way of learning or
being can be counter-productive. HANDLE does not refer to Attention
Deficit Disorder; rather, it looks at Attentional Priorities—the
things that draw our attention which need to be addressed before
learning can take place efficiently.
So, what does
this mean? A child listening to a teacher present a topic may be
distracted by uncomfortable clothing, or by the noise coming from the
hall, or even by the teacher's bright, dangling earrings. By
addressing these needs and helping to balance them, a HANDLE program
can aid this child to focus and attend.
The behaviors
of the children with whom I worked began to make sense. They were
showing us what they needed—we just hadn't understood it! Children
who cover their ears when someone uses the pencil sharpener may be
sound sensitive. Children who put their heads down on the desk, or
wanted a cap or hood, or crawled under the desk may be overwhelmed by
light. Those who pulled away when someone took their hand may be
sensitive to touch. Those who covered their ears at the fire alarm
were likely in pain. Getting groggy or wild after lunch may mean too
many simple carbohydrates and sweets. Looking away when talking to
someone may indicate the child saw double, distorted or blurred
images. Long pauses before answering a question or responding to a
request likely meant he or she needed more time to process
information. Those who were constantly fidgeting may have needed
something in their hands to stimulate the very large area in the
sensory/motor cortex of the brain that corresponds to the hands, thus
keeping themselves centered, focused and alert.
Wanting to
know more about HANDLE and myself, I arranged with Cathy to have an
assessment. Through a series of carefully designed and intuitive,
respectful questions and observing how I completed varied tasks and
movement activities, Cathy designed a HANDLE Profile that was clearly
me. It presented me as a whole person, taking into account my life
history. Although I had often held responsible, high level jobs in my
field, I would often end the day exhausted, with a sense of feeling
overwhelmed. My lifelong issues included difficulties with
organization, multi-tasking, allergies, light and sound sensitivity
and more. The puzzle that was me began to come together.
After the
shock of realizing how hard I had been working all my life, I felt a
sigh of relief in knowing that something could be done about it. The
home-based program of activities developed from my Profile, worked
well for me. This program took approximately 20 minutes per day of
simple but powerful activities (such as gentle, specific rocking and
rhythmic head tapping). Within weeks I began to have more energy and
was more organized at work. I could do more things at the same time
without getting sidetracked. Light and sound sensitivity were reduced.
I realized
that many of the children I knew had also been working extra hard for
the successes they experienced. We had something in common!
What I had
learned left me believing in the validity of the HANDLE paradigm. I
then attended the Intermediate Course in London. My classmates were an
impressive group. These participants were from eight European
countries and included parents of children with significant special
needs, a Psychologist, Occupational Therapists, Teachers, a Nurse, a
Physical Therapist, and various Alternative Health Care Providers. The
course was both demanding and exhilarating. Following this training I
began to do brief screenings to identify red flags and assign short
HANDLE programs to address learning difficulties, attentional
difficulties, speech problems, behavioral issues and minor physical
difficulties.
Now I knew
some things that would have helped those kids I once knew: simple
activities to help the muscles of the eyes work as a team for
binocularity so they could begin to read; limiting sugar and simple
carbohydrates to help them stay alert and awake and in control during
the school day; allowing—and even encouraging—them to have a quiet
fidget tool that would have helped them pay attention; protecting them
from sounds that would distract or hurt their ears. This was exactly
what I was searching for!
I am now
studying at the Advanced level to become a Certified HANDLE
Practitioner. When I complete my training and internship I will be
able to help develop individual programs that will address issues of
learning, behavior, self-control, attention, sensitivities, physical
movement and ways to be more successful in daily life. My goal is to
help bring HANDLE to Mexico, where I live for much of the year.
For
those who want to learn more, I highly recommend Judith Bluestone’s
book,
The Fabric of Autism: Weaving the Threads Into a Cogent Theory.
It tells Judith's inspiring personal story, describes human
functioning based on neuroscientific research and explains the HANDLE
paradigm. This book is about far more than autism. I also recommend
Bluestone’s The
Churkendoose Anthology: True Stories of Triumph over Neurological
Dysfunction. For more information about HANDLE, visit www.handle.org or call HANDLE of Homer
at (907)235-6226.
Ginger
Drais,
M.Ed., is a teacher of the Deaf, a student of HANDLE, the grandmother
of 6, kayaks as often as she can, loves to travel, and lives in Mexico
and Alaska.
