Those Darn Inflexible Kids

Students with neurological dysfunction have 7 common symptoms.

• Impulsive- the inability to put a thought barrier between an thought and an action
• Explosive
• Inflexible
• Immature for chronological age
• Disorganized
• Performance inconsistencies
• Clueless - meaning they don't pick up clues/nonverbal communication that others do.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library has a DVD put out by the Joshua Center in Kansas City called Those Darn Inflexible Kids.  At one point the idea is presented that we need to understand these students have a neurological basis for their behavior and change the environment, not the child - accept the child. I agree, we expect these students to be like other children when they do have a neurological basis for their behavior, it's not willfulness or laziness. But I  also believe IM helps heal many of those neurological challenges and leaves a child better able to function in a typical environment, where we will need fewer modifications to help them succeed.. Here's my notes on this DVD.

Theory of Mind or Mentalizing

I just watched Uta Frith's Theory of Mind presentation again and am noting the brain areas she's mentioned in which this process  happens.

Weak Right Hemisphere or NLD

Your child's brain is marvelous, fascinating and has TWO hemispheres - both hugely important. Some times I will notice weakness in one or the other hemisphere during IM training. Extreme right brain hemisphere weakness can sometimes be seen in attention issues, understanding the big picture, and what is often referred to as non verbal learning difficulties. Here you'll find one of the best descriptions I've found of what this looks like in a child.  A must read if I've said your child has a weak right hemisphere. Note - not all children will have all of these symptoms - some may have very few, but typically the right hemisphere is in charge of these mental processes.

Overflow movements in ADHD

I will often see students using overflow movements during IM tasks and associate this with an immature neurological system. This paper identifies this characteristic in our ADHD population as well. Read more here.

Positive Behavior Support

Here are a couple of links for parents that are dealing with behavioral issues from their children. Though not an IM link, it's a good resource.  Positive Behavior Support Kansas   and  Parent workbook for behavior challenges.

How to fix TIME AND SPACE

This continuation of Dr. Tony Simon's UC Davis MIND Institute presentation  and Q and A about children with a specific genetic conditions which looks like NVLD  shares his thoughts. He believes the minds at UC Davis  are very close to knowing how to 'fix' these brains.

Non Verbal Learning Disabilities behavior relationship to time and space

UC Davis MIND Institute has another great presentation. by Dr. Tony Simon titled Problems with Space and Time.....   Specifically this is about a specific population of children with spatio-temporal challenges. These children are often labeled as having Non Verbal Learning Disabilities, NVLD.

Though this research is not IM research, it shows that some challenges, often labeled as NVLD, are directly identified as weak resolution of time and space, the exact processing that IM impacts. Specific areas of the brain are implicated as well as networks with in the brain. Some of the areas of the brain that Dr. Simon mentions are the same sub-cortical brain areas that  MRI's have shown to be activated in IM including the cerebellum and the basal ganglia. He ends with the statement that "there is plenty of evidence that typical spatio-temporal systems are 'plastic' " and the we can 'fix' the problem. Practice and stimulation is what is needed to change and improve these processes.