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"The happiness of a child
should never be sacrificed for educational traditions."
~ Nancy E. O'Dell, Ph.D. and Patricia A. Cook,
Ph.D., authors and educators
"Dr. Cook and Dr. O'Dell have helped thousands of
children and adults with this breakthrough approach. This book will enable
them to help millions. ."
~ Gene E. Sease,
Th.M., Ph.D. President emeritus, University of Indianapolis
"This innovative technique offers hope for children
and adults with ADD/ADHD. "
~ Jeff Bradstreet, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.
"This program is known to me personally and
professionally to ease stress and frustration, bring harmony to the family
unit, and improve academic success."
~ Sandra A. Zimmerman, LCSW, LMHC, M.S.,
R.N.
"This program works wonders for children who need
to develop the rhythm and coordination necessary for musical
proficiency."
~ Carol Wheeler, M.A., eurhythmics
instructor
"This is clearly a relevant and timely alternative
approach to the treatment of hyperactive children. Indeed, time may prove
this to be the best approach, and, as such, this is a 'must read' for
physicians, educators, and parents."
~ Robert C. Brooksby,
D.O. Healing from Within: Be Still and Know, 2nd ed.
"As a learning disabilities teacher, I strongly
support this program. It has been a great success factor in the lives of my
own family and for my children."
~ Melissa Cowan, B.A., learning disabilities
teacher
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At last! A proven drug-free program
for treating ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities in
children and adults.
Does your child or anyone you know display the following
behaviors?
- Squirming
- Getting up frequently
- Losing attention quickly
- Daydreaming frequently
- Writing poorly
- Writing laboriously
- Reversing letters or numbers
- Moving awkwardly or clumsily
- Avoiding athletics
- Developing athletic skills slowly
A major
contributing cause of these ADD/ADHD symptoms in at least 75% of the cases is
a specific reflex--the Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR). The behaviors
caused by an interfering STNR are the same as most of the behaviors that are
classified as ADD/ADHD symptoms.
The Main Problem: There are
many children and adults, at least 10% of the total population, who cannot
seem to sit still comfortably for more than a few minutes. They are often
classified as ADD or ADHD. The mechanical aspect of writing, just getting the
words down on paper, becomes an incredibly difficult task. Many of these
difficulties can be traced to an immature Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex.
The Cause: Although the
Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) occurs naturally in the normal development
of children, if this reflex stays at an immature level, it can greatly
interfere with specific and general coordination tasks. The STNR will stay at
an immature level if the child does not crawl enough or properly in infancy.
Individuals with an immature STNR will be extremely uncomfortable in what is generally
considered the “proper” sitting position: sitting up straight and sitting
still.
The incidence of an immature STNR is increasing in recent
years because many babies are being kept on their backs to sleep to help
prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), but then they are not being put
on their tummies when they are awake. If they are never on their tummies,
they are never going to crawl. If they don't crawl for at least 6 months and
properly, the STNR will remain at an interfering level.
At the age of six months, when the STNR is designed to be
in control of the child’s body, the STNR functions in response to the
position of the head in relation to the body: when the neck is straightened,
tension is increased in the muscles which straighten the elbows and those
which bend the hips and knees. The baby will pull up into a “cat sit” to
prepare for crawling. Essentially, the three body units - neck, arms, legs - are “tied together” by the reflex, so that movement
in one area automatically produces a change in the muscular tension of the
other two areas. The STNR will remain immature (in control) if the child does
not crawl properly for at least six months.
The Effect: The important
thing to remember is that the immature STNR makes the top half of the body want to be “opposite” that of the lower part of the
body. A person with an immature STNR is very uncomfortable with all parts
bent or with all parts straight.
The immature STNR generally hampers the production of
rhythmic, coordinated movement and specifically interferes with the postures
generally required for reading and writing. An immature STNR makes it very
difficult for a child to sit at a desk in the “correct” sitting position,
with elbows and hips bent at the same time.
STNR children will get up and down from their chairs when
they write or will just try to stand up while they are writing. STNR children
who are tall enough will often assume the “slouched” position, with legs
stretched out in front. Children in this position are considered by many
teachers to be “lazy” or “disrespectful,” or “unable to do your work sitting
like that.” What many teachers do not realize is that these positions are
actually comfortable to the STNR child because the child’s arms and head are
not fighting with the position of the legs.
When not allowed to stand or sit in a slouched position,
STNR children may frequently become “foot sitters,” sitting in the chair with
feet and legs tucked under the body in order to keep the legs bent while the
arms and neck are bent in reading or writing activities. Another favorite
posture is the hooking of the feet around the legs of the chair to help hold
the legs in position while the arms and neck are bent.
It needs to be emphasized that
STNR children do not know why they are assuming these positions, nor are they
even aware of their positions. They only know that these positions are more
comfortable for them.
Many children and adults with an immature STNR give
evidence of ADD/ ADD/ADHD because of the difficulty in sitting still for long
periods of time in the “proper” sitting position. They may get up and down
from their chairs constantly in order to relieve the muscular tension caused
by the immature reflex, or they may just lose attention.
STNR children usually have poor penmanship: laboriously
produced, with poor letter formation, and with the pencil held in a rigid and
awkward manner. Every shift in the arm movement while writing also elicits a
change in the muscular tension of the neck and legs. Consequently, these STNR
children usually write in a constricted, restricted, and cramped style and
position in order to avoid muscular changes.
Copying from the board to a paper is an especially
difficult task, as the children must contend with the positional changes in the
neck and arms, and the effects of these changes. Sometimes, STNR children can
produce well-written papers, but this is usually at the expense of much time
and effort, often with “homework wars” as a result.
Writing is a chore for these children. Their writing is
usually sloppy, covered with erasures, and almost illegible. Frequently a
child will “lock in,” get a death grip on the pencil and practically draw the
letters, so that at least the work is neat, but at great expense of time and
energy. Research suggests that STNR children expend ten times the effort of
those without an immature STNR to complete the sane task. While three pages
of homework may not seem like much, the equivalent of 10 X 3, THIRTY pages
seems overwhelming. It is no wonder that STNR children resist writing.
The Solution: Obviously, not
all academic problems are caused by an immature STNR; however, many academic
problems are caused and/or compounded by this reflex’s interference.
Because of the pioneering work of Dr. Miriam L. Bender, we
are able to mature the STNR through very specific exercises rather than using
drugs. These STNR exercises are intervention techniques which, if done
properly, will actually eliminate the ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities that have been
caused by an immature STNR. This exercise program takes only 15-20 minutes a
day, 5 days a week, in your own home, for approximately 8 months to produce
the desired improvements.
The first appointment in our clinic takes half a day,
followed by 1 hr. reevaluations every six weeks. There is a flat fee of $1900
for the entire program. Insurance may apply. Interest-free payments can be
arranged.
The interfering effects of the STNR can be corrected by the
proper implementation of the Miriam Bender Exercise Program. The child must
be at least 5 years old to participate in the program. No one is too old to
be helped. (Our oldest client, so far, was 77 years old.) We would strongly
encourage you to come to the clinic so that you can benefit from our
experience and expertise. We have been doing this work for over 30 years.
We have also written a book, Stopping ADD/ADHD, and
produced a supplementary video and DVD in order to share this information
with the world. The Miriam Bender Exercise Program will work if it is done
properly. Of course, you are most likely to achieve the best results from the
exercises if you come to our clinic.
If you don't see significant improvement after completing
the program at our clinic, we will issue a full refund. Call us today for
more information. The original Miriam Bender Achievement Center in
Indianapolis, IN is the only clinic authorized to implement the Miriam Bender
Exercise Program.
Miriam Bender
Achievement Center
1540 N. Franklin Rd.
Indianapolis, IN. 46219 USA
888-291-2791
(317) 356-0456
odell@uindy.edu
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