Hurt Children: Our Results

We have worked with thousands of children and their parents over the last 65 years, and put thousands of them on a pathway to wellness.

About Brain Injury

When the brain is injured, the child will either have a problem with the incoming sensory pathways or the outgoing motor pathways or both. When a child cannot see, hear or feel properly, he cannot respond to the world around him appropriately. This may be a severe problem, as it is with the child who is functionally blind, deaf, insensate, paralyzed, and speechless.

This may be a moderate problem, as it is with a child who can not use both eyes together properly, lacks the fine-tuning to handle the common sounds in the environment, or is too sensitive or not sensitive enough to touch and may not yet be able to move or talk or use his hands at age level.

This may be a mild problem, as it is with a child who cannot read, write or do math at age level and who may lack the balance, coordination, language, and manual competence of his peers.

Results on
3,551 Hurt Children

Over the years we’ve worked with thousands of hurt children and their families. See below to explore some of the ways we’re improving the lives of children around the world.

Seeing

Of the 424 children who were blind

Seeing

At birth, a newborn baby is blind; he can see light and dark and nothing more. This is Stage I, and at this point the baby has only a light reflex.

As he matures, he begins to see outline. This is the very beginning of seeing. This is Stage II. When a baby begins to see and respond to details, such a child has developed useful vision. This is Stage III. Some have no light reflex and cannot see light. They are below Stage I. This is called blind. Some have only a light reflex and can see only light and dark. This is also called blind.

Children beyond one year of age who are not able to see detail can truly be said to be functionally blind. Some see only outline; these children do not yet have vision that is in any way useful to them, since their visual needs are much greater at one year and beyond than their needs would have been at the age when it is normal to see only outline. This is called functionally blind.

For a child at Stage II, I, or below, who is one year of age or older, to be able to see detail and thus to have useful vision for the first time is an occasion for great rejoicing. When this occurs, it is true to say that the blind or the functionally blind are now seeing.

Of the 424 children who were blind, 355 (83%) saw for the first time and 303 children learned to read. (They ranged in age 8 months to 22 years 1 month.)

Hearing

Before we as human beings can learn to understand spoken language, we must be able to hear that language. The lack of this ability seriously impairs our ability to function as complete human beings, since the normal developmental sequence of speech is dependent upon the capability of hearing and interpreting language.

The children who achieved this victory were deaf when they began the program. They were unable to respond to sounds. Since their last evaluation they have achieved the ability not only to hear sounds, but also to respond to 10 to 25 words of speech and to follow simple directions.

Of the 178 children who were deaf, 149 (83%) heard for the first time. (They ranged in age from 8 months to 22 years 1 month.)

Hearing

Of the 178 children who were deaf

Understanding

Babies begin the complex and seemingly miraculous process of decoding human language at birth. It is a process that we tend to take for granted except, of course, when it does not happen. After young children develop an understanding of meaningful sounds, they begin to understand words and, finally, simple sentences.

When a child can understand at least two thousand words and hundreds of simple sentences, he has reached a major milestone in his quest for neurological maturity.

At this stage he can understand two-step or three-step instructions, and grasp the concept of tomorrow and yesterday. He has, in other words, all the basics of human auditory understanding of language. For the average child this process takes three years to achieve. The following children now understand language as well as or better than an average three-year-old.

Of 1,586 children whose comprehension was not yet equal to that of the average three-year-old, 1,391 (87%) were able to understand at least as well as a three-year-old for the first time in their lives. (They ranged in age from 15 months to 32 years 3 months.)

Understanding

Of the 1,586 children whose comprehension was not yet equal to that of the average
3 year old

Crawling

Out of 1,334 children who were unable to move

Crawling

When children move themselves from point “A” to point “B” for the first time in their lives, they have accomplished one of the major objectives in life. In a physical sense, they are free for the first time and can (within certain limits) go where they wish to go without dependence on other human beings. They begin to do so by lying face down and using their arms and legs to push themselves forward. Crawling is movement for movement’s sake.

Of the 1,334 children who were unable to move, 540 (40%) crawled for the first time in their lives. They went from being paralyzed to being able to crawl across a room without help. (They ranged in age from 8 months to 22 years 10 months.)

Creeping

When children begin to move in a counter-gravity situation for the first time by getting their bellies off the floor and moving themselves forward on hands and knees, they have begun a great adventure–one of the greatest in all life. They have given up total security in exchange for speed and ease of movement.

Whereas before they had the security of lying flat on the floor (you can’t fall off the floor), they also had the problem of dragging their bodies along the floor in the least efficient way. Now they have sacrificed this security (you can fall down from hands and knees) for efficiency and speed. While crawling is movement for movement’s sake, creeping is movement that is goal-directed. An infant crawls across the room to get across the room. A baby creeps to get the toy that is across the room. Since their last evaluation, the following children have advanced to the ability to creep and now do so.

Of the 655 children who were unable to creep, 428 (65%) began to creep for the first time. This is to say that they defied gravity to move to the third dimension and now get all over the house on hands and knees. (They ranged in age from 7 months to 21 years 6 months.)

Creeping

Out of 655 children who were unable to creep

Walking

Out of 683 children who were unable to walk

Walking

When a baby stands and for the first time lets go of all the furniture to take an independent step, he has made a move of great importance individually and historically.

He now accepts the risk of defying gravity, except for the contact of a few square inches of the soles of his feet on the ground. It is exciting, it is dangerous, it is exhilarating, It is the highest of man’s mobility adventures. In terms of mobility it is full citizenship at last. These children have become walkers since their last evaluation. They can stand up in the middle of a room, can walk across a room independently, and they choose walking as their means of mobility.

Of the 683 children who were unable to walk, 369 (54%) began to walk without help for the first time. (They ranged in age from 14 months to 23 years 8 months.)

Running

As a child walks , his coordination matures and his ability to deal with gravity in the upright position improves. In his never-ending search for more efficient mobility, he begins to accelerate his walk. He leans his body forward and lifts his feet higher off the ground. At first these movements are jerky, and he can sustain his speed for only a few seconds. He begins to trot. This is the first step towards running. With practice, he learns to maintain the upright position while traveling through space. As he gains experience his pace acquires velocity, and for a split second both his feet leave the ground and he glides. He is now experiencing the sheer exhilaration of running.

These children have become runners since their last evaluation. They can run at least 100 yards nonstop in cross-pattern.

Of the 826 children able to walk, but not run, 416 (50%) learned to run for the first time. (They ranged in age from 30 months to 25 years 8 months.)

Running

Out of 826 children who were able to walk, but not run

Reading

It is difficult when describing that superb function, reading, not to use words in impossible combinations such as “most unique.” Man has six unique functions, each of which is a product of the human cortex. One of these is reading.

While it is not possible for one function to be “more unique” than another, it is true that the animals closely approach man in some of the other functions, such as walking upright. This is not so in reading. The following children have, since their last evaluation, unlocked the door to all that is beautiful and true that has been written in their own language. It is interesting to note the present age of these children who can now read at least one hundred words.

Of the 2,006 children who were unable to read, 1,930 children (96%) read for the first time. (They ranged in age from 8 months to 32 years 3 months.)

Reading

Of the 2,006 children who were unable to read

Talking

Of the 1,634 children who couldn’t speak

Talking

Only human beings, using the unique human cortex, have been able to make a large variety of sounds and to assign abstract, symbolic, conventional meanings to those sounds. The result has been human language in hundreds of forms, including English, French, German, Swahili, Spanish, and Portuguese. Since their last evaluation, the following children have begun to consistently use a vocabulary of at least ten words and at least two couplets, and to do so spontaneously and meaningfully.

Of the 1,634 children who couldn’t speak, 696 (42%) spoke for the first time. (They ranged in age from 16 months to 21 years 4 months.)

Writing

Of the 898 children unable to write

Writing

Writing is the ability to express language in a symbolic fashion using a tool. Like reading, writing is also a function unique to man and is also a product of the human cortex. In terms of manual competence, writing is the highest stage of cortical function. The following children have, since their last evaluation, started to write or type words as a new and meaningful method of communication.

Of the 898 children unable to write, 221 (24%) wrote for the first time. (They ranged in age from 4 years 4 months to 37 years 8 months.)

Health

Out of 1972 children

Health

Many brain-injured children, in addition to their developmental problems, are chronically ill, and some are in a life-threatening situation because of their constant illnesses. A pediatrician expects an average child to have 9 to 12 respiratory illnesses a year and is not overly concerned until the frequency is greater than that. Once a child begins a full neurological program, we expect to see a dramatic improvement in his overall health. In fact, our objective is no illnesses or conditions such as prolonged allergies, seizures, and fatigue that cause an interruption in either performance or alertness.

Of 1,972 children who were on the program for 12 months or more, 564 (28%) achieved perfect health for at least 12 consecutive months. Of these, 206 had no illness for more than 24 months, and one had no illness for 12 years 3 months.

Detoxification

At the time of initial evaluation, 53% of our children have a history of seizures at some time in their lives. In 1993, 37% were currently having seizures (that is within one year prior to their initial evaluation) and 31% were on anticonvulsant drugs. In this group, the maximum number of drugs taken simultaneously was three. Despite these medications, seizures often continued unabated; 84% of the children currently having seizures were receiving anticonvulsants.

Because of sedation and other undesirable side effects of the drugs, a program of medication reduction is undertaken with great care under the direction of our medical staff. In 1993, we succeeded with complete elimination of such medication in more than 67% of our children. Of these, 47% had no seizures for a minimum of 6 months following detoxification.

Of the 841 children who were on anticonvulsant medication, 524 (62%) were completely and successfully detoxified. (They ranged in age from 10 months to 33 years 1 month.) Of the remaining 309 children, 9 are in the process of complete detoxification.

Detoxification

Out of 841 children who were on anticonvulsant medication

The IN-Report

The IN-Report serves to record and publish the victories of brain-injured children. The accomplishments of brain-injured children who have graduated and the achievements of well children are also covered. The IN-Report keeps parents everywhere in touch with the exciting new programs, books, materials, events, and people connected with the work of The Institutes.

This journal is one of the best ways to learn about the progress being made in the world of kids and parents at The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential®. Regular reports, special features, staff biographies and columns by staff members provide invaluable information.

Get to Know Our Kids

Our parents have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that hurt children have tremendous potential. Meet the brain-injured kids getting better every day:

Lucas – Age 7

Developmental Delay, West Syndrome

Lucas – Age 7

Developmental Delay, West Syndrome

“After attending this course, our lives changed completely. Our food changed completely and we began an intensive physical program. We stopped traveling three times a week to do conventional therapies and devoted ourselves to working at home in preparation for our first evaluation in Philadelphia.”

Learn More

Ana Sofia – Age 2

Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21

Ana Sofia – Age 2

Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21

Ana Sofia’s mother realized her daughter had slightly flattened facial features and poor muscle tone. Her doctor told her that Ana Sofia had Trisomy 21. But with the help of The Institutes, Ana Sofia crawled, crept, walked, laughed, and read before she was 2 years.

Learn More

Suri – Age 3

Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21

Suri – Age 3

Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21

“When Suri was two years old, I attended the “What to do about your Brain Injured Child” Course in Philadelphia, USA and my husband did it soon after. For twelve months we have been on the Intensive Treatment Program and haven’t looked back."

Learn More

Mateo – Age 4

Autism, Language Development, Learning Problems

Mateo – Age 4

Autism, Language Development, Learning Problems

“As a family, it is our desire and life project to develop our children´s neurological and physical capabilities to their full potential. We have found at The Institutes, the method, the direction, the support and the experience of the staff to overcome our son's brain injury”

Learn More

Emilio

Immobility

Emilio

Immobility

The Institutes is happy to share the story of Emilio, who is three years old, and lives in Spain. Emilio’s parents attended the What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child course in January 2012, and immediately began a program with Emilio. His progress is incredible.

Learn More

Melvin – Age 3

Cerebral Palsy, Immobility

Melvin – Age 3

Cerebral Palsy, Immobility

octors told Melvin’s parents that they could not predict how he would do and advised them to “wait and see.” Parents did not want to wait and immediately began searching for answers on the Internet. They quickly discovered The Institutes.

Learn More

Help Make a Difference

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Hurt Children: Our Results

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About Brain Injury

Results on 3,551 Hurt Children

Seeing

Of the 424 children who were blind

83%

Seeing

Hearing

Hearing

Of the 178 children who were deaf

83%

Understanding

Understanding

Of the 1,586 children whose comprehension was not yet equal to that of the average 3 year old

87%

Crawling

Out of 1,334 children who were unable to move

40%

Crawling

Creeping

Creeping

Out of 655 children who were unable to creep

65%

Walking

Out of 683 children who were unable to walk

53%

Walking

Running

Running

Out of 826 children who were able to walk, but not run

50%

Reading

Reading

Of the 2,006 children who were unable to read

96%

Talking

Of the 1,634 children who couldn’t speak

42%

Talking

Writing

Of the 898 children unable to write

24%

Writing

Health

Out of 1972 children

28%

Health

Detoxification

Detoxification

Out of 841 children who were on anticonvulsant medication

62%

The IN-Report

Get to Know Our Kids

Lucas – Age 7

Ana Sofia – Age 2

Suri – Age 3

Mateo – Age 4

Emilio

Melvin – Age 3

Help Make a Difference

Talk To Us

Results on
3,551 Hurt Children

Of the 1,586 children whose comprehension was not yet equal to that of the average
3 year old