“Disconnected Kids”, by Dr. Robert Melillo, 2009

I discovered this book about 1 month ago. It is a weath of information into recent research on current childhood brain problems, and it says most of them have 1 root problem: a brain imbalance, otherwise known as an out of sync brain.  The imbalance is caused when either the right or left side of the brain is underdeveloped.  It says the cause is environmental, and it is treatable.  The book is a home program for diagnosing and treating your child.  The goal is not just coping, but it is complete healing!

The 2 sides of the brain grow at different times: from prenatal to age 2 – only the right brain grows, from age 2 to 4 or 5 – only the left brain develops, and from 5 to 10 - the sides alternate frequently in growing.   The cause of the brain imbalance is when the brain has trauma or a lack of stimuli.  FYI – I have more knowledge of right brain imbalance because our adopted daughter has this.  For example, if a child has a difficult birth and neglect and/or abuse up to age 2, then they will likely have a underdeveloped right brain and display some symptoms such as ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, food allergies and sensitivities, anti-social behavior, hyper-sensitivity, oppositional defiance disorder, and problems with abstract and higher-level concepts such as reasoning and comprehension.  Or if a child has neglect and/or abuse from age 2 to 5, they will likely have symptoms such as dyslexia, processing problems, and problems with details.

 RESOURCES
I suggest you first use the Master Checklist below, then purchase the "Disconnect Kids" book.  We are doing this with my daughter, and I will start treatment within 1 month.  If I have problems such as lack of progress I will look into going to the Little Giant Steps clinic.

1.       PDF presentation on Disconnect Kids given at the LPC Adoption Foster Support couples meeting on Nov. 8, 2012
click here to open

2.       Master Checklist provided in the Disconnect Kids book for diagnosing your child. 
click here to open

Total number of checks indicate severity of problem.  50 or less mild, 50-100 moderate, 100 - 200 more severe.
More right brain checks indicate a right brain imbalance, and more left brain checks indicate a left brain imbalance.

3.        “Disconnected Kids” book, by Dr. Robert Melillo, 2009 (I purchased ebook on Amazon for Kindle)

4.       “Reconnected Kids” book, by Dr. Robert Melillo (ideas for making the Disconnected Kids program work at home)

5.       Brain Balance Center of Plano, TX (one of Dr. Melillo’s clinics)

6.       Little Giant Steps, Plano, TX (Christian, lower rates)

7.       www.brainbalancecenters.com (Dr. Melillo’s web site)

8.       www.lpadoptionfostersupport.blogspot.com (our blog)



 

Intro - The Healing Home – connecting the disconnected child

Intro - The Healing Home – connecting the disconnected child

Gary Moreau, based primarily on book “Disconnected Kids”, by Dr. Robert Melillo, 2009

Beginning a journey in using the mind-body connection to correctly diagnose our children, help them to understand their problems and to cope, and to get on the road of permanent healing.

THE PROBLEM

There is an alarming escalation of the number of children who cannot fully function in this world because they do not have fully functioning brains.  16 million children in 2009 had severe attention, behavioral and learning problems.  Includes ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, dyslexia, Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, bipolar, etc.  In 1999: 1 in 10,000 children had autism, in 2009: 1 in 150 had autism.

THE NORM

The norm in our world is to view brain problem symptoms as separate problems.  No explainable root cause, and no cure.  All you can do is diagnose, label the child, medicate the symptoms and cope.  Drugs mask problems.  Some well-meaning teachers and therapists make problems worse.  Parents told symptoms could subside, or get worse.  Parents told to talk to school teacher, see psychologist, be loving, understanding, patient, and learn to cope. 

BRAIN BALANCE INTRO

Brain Balance Program has seen over 1000 children cured, and over 1000 medical professionals use part or all of this approach (2009).  This is all the “connected”, “disconnected”, “reconnected”, and “out of sync” folks.  Treatment is non-medical, correcting underlying problem.  Program has been adapted for parents and teachers to do themselves in the “Disconnected Kids” book.  Last month one thing we talked about was “Brain Gym” – this is a technique to cope and heal using the mind-body connection.

Adoption and Foster support Nov. 8 - Connecting the disconnected child

Adoption and Foster support group at LPC Rockwall, Nov. 8

Creating a Healing Home - connecting the disconnected child

By Gary Moreau

 

Material from "Disconnected Child" book, Brain Gym, and other Mind/Body techniques

We want to devote at least 30 minutes in each meeting discussing your questions and issues.

These meetings qualify for 1.5 hours of foster training, and there is free childcare if you register typically

1 week in advance. Also email back and let me know if you are coming. See details of meetings below.
-------------------

LPC Couples Adoption & Foster Support, Thur 11/8, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Rockwall campus

room A-200, register for free childcare
-------------------

Free childcare (must register ASAP):
http://lpcadoption.org/CurrentEvents/Registration.aspx

- Deadline for registering for childcare is normally at least 1 week ahead of time.

-------------------

http://lpadoptionfostersupport.blogspot.com

Creating a Healing Home (for foster and adopted children)

Creating a Healing Home (for foster and adopted children) By Gary Moreau  Some topics covered by Kristin Mathis at the LPC Adoption and Foster Conference 2012.

Intro

Foster and adoptive children usually have different brain chemistry and maybe physical differences also.  Primarily due to severe neglect.

Our main goal is to connect with our kids.

Learn about your child’s brain and teach them about it.

Use this more – prefrontal cortex (wise leader)

Use this less – amygdala (security guard) 

The amygdala is what produced the fear response.  When a child is operating here that cannot explain it, they don’t know how it happened, and they often lie.

Creating a healing home

• Understand your child
• Find the right ingredients for your child’s unique healing recipe.
• Remember the whole child 
• Keep balance, perspective, and reasonableness

Nutrition and Hydration

• “Snack, Love, Play” by Dr. Purvis
• www.adoptionlearningpartners.org  Connection between nutrition and your child’s behavior
• Many behavior problems are caused by dehydration.
• Eat natural foods and cut our additives.

Sensory-rich activities

• “Growing an In-Sync Child” and “The Out of Sync Child Has Fun” by Kranowitz.  
• Children learn and connect best through multi-sensory experiences.
• Examples: have children do chores and cooking with you – sensory stimuli and connection.

Rituals

• “I Love You Rituals” by Becky Bailey
• Our children need concrete affirmations of our love and unconditional acceptance.
• Playful engagement and loving rituals
• Combine different things and create connections.

Brain Gym

• “Brain Gym: Teacher’s Edition” by Paul and Gail Dennison
• Moving with intention creates optimal learning.
• Specific movements, especially cross-midline movements, are even more powerful. 
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL4an7UC3wA
• Older kids – brainbreaks.blogspot.com
• Cross-midline movements get connections in the prefrontal cortex between your right and left side – this settles the brain.
• You can add cross-midline movements to “time ins”, transitions (to bed, leave home, etc.)  and rituals. 
• Adoptive and foster children need extra recess and movement.

Mind Up

• www.thehawnfoundation.org/mindup
• Provides children with emotional and cognitive tools to help them manage their emotions and behaviors, reduce stress, and sharpen concentration.
• Includes deep breathing, focus on senses, and explain to a child their own anatomy (wise leader, security guard)

Theraplay

• Child and family therapy for building and enhancing attachment, self-esteem, trust in others, and joyful engagement.  
• Attachment is paramount, and attachment skills can be taught.
• Home play therapy is related to this, but focus should be attachment between child and you, not the toys.

Family Night (put it all together)

• puppets, role-playing, connecting activities (Therplay), games with neurologically organized movements (Sensory-rich and Brain Gym), activities that encourage acknowledging and labeling feelings, and times that empower and teach self-regulation (Mind Up)
• Pick and choose
• Experience, blend, mix
• No hurts, stick together, have fun, adult is in charge

"Creating a Healing Home", Support group meeting Oct 11 2012

Adoption and Foster support group at LPC Rockwall, Oct. 11  Creating a Healing Home (for foster and adopted children) By Gary Moreau  Some topics covered by Kristin Mathis at the LPC Adoption  and Foster Conference 2012. Please email me back with ideas on what you would like to discuss during the meetings.   We want to devote at least 40 minutes in each meeting discussing your questions and issues.    These meetings qualify for 1.5 hours of foster training, and there is free childcare if you register typically  1 week in advance.  Also email back and let me know if you are coming. See details of meetings below. ------------------- LPC Couples Adoption & Foster Support, Thur 10/11,  6:30pm-8:00pm, Rockwall campus  room A-200, register for free childcare ------------------- Free childcare (must register ASAP): http://lpcadoption.org/CurrentEvents/Registration.aspx  - Deadline for registering for childcare is normally at least 1 week ahead of time.   ------------------- http://lpadoptionfostersupport.blogspot.com

What can the church can do for adoptees?

Summary of what Sherrie Elridge suggests:

1. Form all adoptee small groups that meet regulary. All ages. Child adoptees should have an adoptee parernt with them.

2. Try to understand the heart and love language of adoptees. All adoptees have the same love language, and it is different from non-adoptees.

3. Speak the truth to adoptees about them being adopted and about their birth family. Do not hide nor sugar-coat these facts or you are minimizing a major part of an adoptee's life.

4. Expect an adoptee to reject others because they expect to be rejected themselves.

5. Expect adoptees to smile and be quite, when they are wearing a mask and hurting and raging inside.

6. Expect adoptees to be angry, and to periodically act out that anger.

7. Expect adoptees to shut down at parties and other busy and stimulating environments, and they feel they do not belong.

8. Expect adoptees to resist changes.

9. Expect adoptees to resist love, consistancy, and kindness - because they do not think they deserve this - but this is what they need.

10. Know that adopotees are using almost all their stength to remain calm in public, so do not expect much else from them, and know that they explode emotionally in the car on the way home. And sometimes they expode emotionally in your presence, which will disconcern you to see the quitest child in your class become the loudest and most out control child, in an instant.

11. Expect the adoptee to not respond when you show them love, but know that they feel your love and love you in their heart, but they cannot bring themself to respond.