There are Core issues that lead to problems at work, or at school. They are the ROOT causes for trouble in reading, writing, math, sitting still, ADD, ADHD, and other developmental issues. When these core issues are remediated, then development can continue until they reach their full potential. (Please keep in mind, they can ONLY develop to THEIR potential. Not ALL problems can be remediated, especially in cases of brain damage.) Read about each core issue, and how they can be identified in their everyday behavior. These problems can be remediated.
There are Core issues that lead to problems at work, or at school. They are the ROOT causes for trouble in reading, writing, math, sitting still, ADD, ADHD, and other developmental issues. When these core issues are remediated, then development can continue until they reach their full potential. (Please keep in mind, they can ONLY develop to THEIR potential. Not ALL problems can be remediated, especially in cases of brain damage.) Read about each core issue, and how they can be identified in their everyday behavior. These problems can be remediated.
Root Causes
Differentiation of Neck, Shoulders, Hips
Differentiation is the ability to use one specific muscle group, in order to accomplish a task, WITHOUT engaging the other surrounding muscles. The neck should move without tension in the shoulders, or face. The shoulders should be able to move in all directions without tension or overflow to the arms or back. Hips should be able to slide the leg out without tensing the foot, or bending the foot up at the ankle.
Why is differentiation important?
The most efficient use of the body only engages the specific muscle group needed to accomplish a task. For example, if a person is writing, their neck, shoulders, and back should be at rest. If those groups are tense, then they will be expending unnecessary energy.
RELAXATION
The ability to relax allows a person to have enough energy to complete a full day of activities. If energy is being wasted in keeping the body tense, then the brain will grow weary more quickly. A person who expends a great amount of energy on body tension must relearn day after day after day before the information is finally processed and remembered. They will usually have a short attention span, and not only go to bed tired, but wake up in the morning tired. Grades suffer, performance at work suffers, and so does their attitude ☺
HOW DO I KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM…
- Symptoms include :
- Constant moving
- Very tense
- In a dream world
- Wraps up in bed even in the summer
- Sits on hands
- Fingers tense and stiff when open or in a fist
- Ankles crossed tightly
- Very poor hand control
- Keeps hands close to body
- Sucks thumb beyond a normal age
- Keeps fingers in mouth
- Avoids crowds
- Sits on feet
- Tongues tries to help with most activities
- Tenses several parts of the body to make one part work
- Keeps hands in pockets
- Has trouble catching a bean bag
- Gets angry easily
- Uses a tight grip on the pencil
- Bites nails
- Can’t find things
- Has problems with reading and math (words and numbers float)
- Skips problems
- Loses place
- Uses one hand to write, while other hand is close to body or in lap
- Distractible
- Has Poor Attention Span
- Can’t attend to one person when there are other has trouble picking out an item from a group of items
- Distractions in the Room
- Easily Distracted by Visual or Auditory Stimuli
Balance
Good Balance needs waist differentiation. We balance with our waist muscles. Often, balance will be achieved through tension of the back, shoulders, and legs. Unfortunately, energy is wasted when the waist is not initiating the balance, and sitting becomes difficult. Long days of sitting, at school or work, are tiring and the brain cannot focus effectively on the work at hand.
HOW DO I KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM…
- Unusual manner of walking, running, or jumping
- Falls off Chair
- Never stays in seat
- Poor eye contact
- Always leaning on someone or something
- Hugs on the playground
- Wraps feet or legs around the chair legs
- Sits on the edge of a chair with one foot sticking out
- Trouble standing in line
- Constant motion
- Cant stand on one foot
- Turns somersault by slapping body to the floor when halfway over
- Can’t get hands away from Body when Throwing (a younger child may throw sideways)
- Hangs onto Chalkboard with one hand
- Short attention span
Laterality
Laterality is the internal awareness of left and right. It is the ability to use one side without involving the other, and the ability to use both sides of the body together. Students with dyslexia struggle with laterality.
HOW DO I KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM…
- Problems with cursive writing
- Turns paper away from body when writing
- Head down on arms when writing
- Over pours glass or cup
- Reverse letters and words
- Must write away, not across
- Pre-schoolers have trouble reaching across the midline
- Usually chosen last for games
- Loses place when Reading
- May give verbal answers but cannot write answers
- Trouble with Math
- May have trouble with position in a line (in front, behind, beside or next to)_
- Has difficulty reading
Visual Motor
Good visual-motor coordination requires a person to use their hands together in unison. They must be able to use hands together to act on incoming information
HOW DO I KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM…
- May be slow to complete assignments
- Work will be sloppy if they finish fast
- Copying from the backboard may be inaccurate
- Unable to copy simple motif unless hands are covered
- If they can copy, it will require extreme concentration
- Reading may be affected
- Writing, especially copying will be affected
- Playground activities may be affected
Auditory Development
Children with good auditory skills are able to understand and derive meaning from speech and other sounds in the environment. School age children should be able to follow three or four part direction, repeat a tapping pattern, re-tell a story and describe events of the day.
HOW DO I KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM…
- May not be able to process oral instructions
- May have poor oral reading skills
- May watch and copy others
- May be hyperactive, have a short attention span or appear in a dream world
- May talk constantly
- May respond to single words but not sentences
- Depends on visual clues
- Doesn’t know which sounds to ignore
- When frustrated or fatigues may cover ears or withdraw
- Unable to associate sounds with particular objects or experiences
- Fatigues easily because concentrating so hard
- Overreacts to extraneous noise
- Sometimes thought to be deaf
- Usually have poor kinesthetic figure-ground
Understanding what is going on, helps. But, knowing you can do something about it is even better. The good news is that there are exercises to remediate all of these problems! Check out our website to learn how you can help those you love hone their true potential.