Developmentally Delayed with Mobility Problems
A Child Who is Developmentally Delayed Can Be Helped. Ignacio carves his own pathway to wellness
Everything appeared to be normal when Ignacio was born, but when he was five months old his parents noticed that he was too quiet and did not make sounds like other babies did. Tests showed that he had an ear duct obstruction and that his cochleae were malformed, a condition they were told had no remedy. Doctors told parents that he would be developmentally delayed and would be retarded.
At a year of age, Ignacio could not use the left side of his body to move forward on the floor. Parents learned about The Institutes program and the great importance of giving children time on the floor in the prone position. They immediately gave him unlimited time to move on the floor. After only 10 days of the program, he began to creep on his hands and knees.
By 15 months, he began to walk and started using words to communicate. He was beginning to catch up.
At 25 months, an evaluation showed that he was severely deaf (90% in both ears). His parents came to Philadelphia to attend the What To Do About Your Brian-Injured Child Course. At home they began a program of crawling and creeping, ideal nutrition, and auditory stimulation. They soon reported that his hyperactivity had decreased, and that his ability to read, to understand, and to write had improved.
By the time Ignacio was seven, although he was significantly improved, he was still having some difficulties. Even though his understanding had improved greatly and he could follow complex instructions, hearing was still a problem for him. Visually he had mild convergence problems and his speech was not clear. His diagnosis of being developmentally delayed was being challenged.
He started with a growth rate of 38%, and after 6 months on the program his growth rate was 68%.
Parents decided that Ignacio could be helped by being evaluated by staff of The Institutes and receiving a program tailored for him. After the first six months of his new program, he excelled – he began reading and writing very well. He also began running longer distances with greatly improved stamina. When he returned to The Institutes to be re-evaluated, he had made incredible progress on The Institutes Developmental Profile. He had started with a growth rate of 38% compared to other children his age. Now, his growth rate was 68%, after just 6 months of intensive work.
A Child Who is Developmentally Delayed Can Be Helped
Ignacio continued to progress very well in all areas on the program. Over a period of four years his home program was updated and expanded to include respiratory programs, physical programs, intellectual and social programs, and nutrition.
Ignacio’s speech and reading had advanced to age level, his reading and writing was above age level, and he could run long distances, swim, and ride a bike. He no longer needed his hearing aids.
His speech and reading advanced to peer level or above. He was able to read commercial books at 300 words per minute in three languages (the average child reads 250 words per minute). He learned to write in complex sentences with sophisticated vocabulary and content. He could run long distances, swim, and ride a bike. He was able to hear conversations and sounds at a normal level without the use of hearing aids. Socially, he was more responsible, independent, and mature.
“He has not lost his ‘angel’ quality, which he always had from the beginning.”
When Ignacio was 10 years old he began to attend regular school. This was so successful that he soon began to attend full-time. His parents maintained good contact with The Institutes staff and recently wrote: “Everything is going well. Ignacio is now finishing the last year of secondary school. If everything goes well, which we are expecting, Ignacio will be qualified to begin the two-year program prelude to a college education. He is healthy and his quality of life is as good as that of his fellow students. He is a very willing and great guy. He still swims three times a week. He has grown physically and mentally. Luckily, he has not lost his ‘angel’ quality, which he always had from the beginning. In two weeks Ignacio will become the godfather of his cousin, and he is very happy about it.”
Ignacio has graduated to life from The Institutes program and is well on the road to succeeding in all his academic challenges. As his mother thinks back to Ignacio’s progress on the program, she says, “I could not keep my tears from falling. The time we spent at The Institutes will last forever in our memories.”
They will be in our memories as well. We will not soon forget this dedicated and elegant young man and his superb family. They got up every day and fought for Ignacio’s right to have the same full and wonderful life of his beautiful brothers and sisters. Ignacio has truly overcome his original label of “developmentally delayed.”