This is from a letter written to a school in May 2002 about Marilyn who was diagnosed with Autism and PDD. She had severe speech problems, saying only 4 –5 words, and was also hearing impaired requiring strong hearing aids. She was 5 years old when we began treatment, and did a lot of screaming at that time. Extreme fear reactions to even the slightest new thing caused wild screaming. I did not think the treatment would help but it made an immediate difference. By the fifth day she was saying 4 –5 word phrases and was much calmer. She is now in a regular classroom with an aide, is starting to write, and read. She takes ballet and performs in recitals. Everyone in the office loves having here around and she has no fear of anyone, often striking up appropriate conversations with strangers. She is especially curious about them and people enjoy talking to her. Her fears are gone, she in quite independent now in grooming and loves doing color coordination of her clothing. Best of all she has a real sense of humor. The areas we are working on now are spatial orientation, and speech clarity.

Excerpt from report written to Marilyn’s school:
Marilyn has been receiving neurotherapy neurofeedback treatment about 4 times a year at the Neurotherapy Center of Washington. Treatment began in June of 1998. Positive changes occurred immediately. During the treatment sessions that first week she began speaking in phrases, and was more responsive in appropriate ways to her environment. She began to initiate contact with me and was less resistant to being treated. In the first sessions she was held by her mother to keep her from tearing off the sensors.

In the 4 years since we began treatment major advances have continued physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Speech is clearer and she is using complete sentences. Her coordination and gait are vastly improved; she no longer has the pronounced foot flop (indicating that central motor system development was taking place). After each week of treatment Marilyn has experienced marked improvement in cognitive, and motor skills.

Her speech has improved dramatically, not only in clarity, but her vocabulary had developed as well, and she is no longer fearful of new people and situations. During the first 2 years after Marilyn first came to this office these fears limited her ability to enter any but the most familiar areas, and the sight of new people was often terrifying to her. Any change in immediate plans easily provoked a highly emotional reaction. Transitions were more than difficult. Now she not only is quite flexible with transitions, she also is very comfortable with new situations and often initiates conversations with anyone in the office.

One of the most obvious recent cognitive improvements is in her ability to conceptualize time and the relative passage of time. She now is able to remember what happened in the past, and events scheduled for days of the week to come. Her memory for detail of all kinds is remarkably improved. All of these change are dramatic indications of development of new functional neural circuits in her brain, a confirmation of the goals we had for her with this treatment program.

BWB © 2010