Hurt Kid Questions
How do I have my child evaluated by The Institutes?
Parents are naturally focused on getting an appointment because most places that deal with hurt kids emphasize evaluation. However, while evaluation is important, this is not the first step for our children. The most important thing for our children is treatment. This means our first step is to teach our families and give them the understanding and tools they will need to be able to treat their children at home. The first step is to attend “The What To About Your Brain-Injured Child” Course. Parents actually learn about evaluation and how to design their first program based upon their evaluation. This is a powerful start for our parents. They can begin to see results before their child actually arrives at The Institutes for that first appointment and the first full evaluation by the staff.
How are programs at The Institutes different from other available treatment options?
We treat the brain not the symptoms. Treating the symptoms of injury to the brain without addressing the brain itself will fail. Surgery and medication are often used to try to eliminate a distressing symptom. Treatment of the brain-injured child must be aimed at brain maturation, in order to be safe and effective. The answer is not to be found in the medicine cabinet, but in stimulation and opportunity. This is a more conservative treatment, a safer treatment, a cost-effective treatment, and most important of all, a treatment that works.
How about results?
In the world of hurt children there is nothing more important that results. We have the greatest archive in the world of what happens to a brain-injured child when you intervene and provide appropriate stimulation and effective opportunity. We have been recording and publishing our results for over 45 years. See Major Victories 1998-2019 to see the significant positive changes our parents have achieved.
Do you have courses other than those in Philadelphia?
Our courses are now online, and available to parents worldwide.
Do you treat mildly hurt children who may be diagnosed with hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, or learning problems?
Yes, of course we do, and we have done so for half a century or more. In our experience these children are often in school situations where they are failing and miserable. We take them out of these situations and design an effective program with clear goals. That program includes a full physical program to help promote brain maturation, an intellectual program to insure they catch up and hopefully surpass their peers, a social program to increase their independence and responsibility, and a physiological program to address many of the underlying issues that make them unhealthy, inconsistent, unpredictable, and often miserable. They accomplish this program at home with their mother and father in a positive environment where they are loved and respected.
Is nutrition a part of The Institutes program?
We have been designing individual nutritional programs for our children for over 50 years. In that time we have learned that every child is different. There is no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all nutritional program. The focus of our program is fresh food, whole food, and balanced food. We do use supplementation very carefully when needed.
My child is taking a lot of medication. Can The Institutes help us?
Many children arrive taking medication for digestion problems, absorption problems, bowel problems, seizures, allergies, sleep problems, rigidity, etc. Hurt children have so many confounding symptoms that they often end up being treated by two or three different specialists simultaneously – all recommending medication. The answer is to focus on the central problem in the brain, and not try to treat the many symptoms on the periphery, which will not succeed. We do everything we can to simplify and reduce the medications by improving the function of the child and increasing brain maturation with stimulation and opportunity.
My child has a rare condition. Have you ever treated a child like my child?
We ask our parents to complete a very detailed questionnaire about their child’s diagnosis and testing prior to enrollment in the “What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child” Course. Our clinical and medical staff review this information carefully to determine if the child’s problems originate in the brain. If so, the child is a candidate for The Institutes program. We have encountered numerous diagnoses and a multitude of symptoms, the cause of which is injury to the brain, and therefore treatable.
As I search for answers for my child, what questions should I be asking?
This is a very good question. We propose there are four questions that are vital:
- Do you treat brain-injured children? (not just evaluate them)
- If so, what is your treatment protocol?
- What are your results?
- Where do you publish those results?
Do I need to attend the course if I already read the books?
We highly recommend that you read our books as soon as possible. You will gain invaluable insights into your child and be able to start to change his environment for the better at home. The more you know before attending our course, the deeper your understanding will be once you attend. That said, the course is the most effective way to understand the big picture, get to know the staff, and start on a really successful program.
Who was Glenn Doman?
Glenn Doman founded The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential. It is difficult to know if Glenn and The Institutes are better known for their pioneering work in the treatment of brain-injured children, or for their work in the early development of well children. Glenn dealt intimately with more than 25,000 families over the last 50 years and strongly influenced millions of families through the book “What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child” and the creation of the groundbreaking Gentle Revolution Series of books and materials that teach parents how to teach their babies at home.
How many locations do you have?
The international headquarters of The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential is in suburban Philadelphia, 8801 Stenton Avenue. Our website lists our representatives around the world.