Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care

Transforming Lives Through the Union of Science and Love.

The Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care is built upon the scientific principle of neuroplasticity - that the brain can change no matter an individual’s age, diagnosis, or level of functioning.

The trademarked and internationally recognized Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care was developed by our Founder & Executive Director, Amy O’Dell, in response to critical developmental challenges faced by her own son, Jacob. The Model starts with comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessments to guide multifocal individualized treatment and educational plans that lead to brain growth, healing, and wholeness.

Any neurodevelopmental or behavioral challenge.

full spectrum autism

Full Spectrum
Autism

Full Spectrum Autism

We help students with full spectrum autism, including those with diagnoses of ASD and Sensory Processing Disorder, make powerful gains in academic, functional and emotional behavioral development.

Intellectual and Developmental Delays

Intellectual & Developmental Delays

Intellectual & Developmental Delays

With a customized stimulation program, students with Significant Learning Delay, apraxia, PDD, and communications challenges can develop new brain pathways that lead to growth and learning.

full spectrum autism

Full Spectrum Autism

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Full Spectrum Autism

We help students with full spectrum autism, including those with diagnoses of ASD and Sensory Processing Disorder, make powerful gains in academic, functional and emotional behavioral development.

Intellectual and Developmental Delays

Intellectual & Developmental Delays

MORE≫

Intellectual & Developmental Delays

With a customized stimulation program, students with Significant Learning Delay, apraxia, PDD, and communications challenges can develop new brain pathways that lead to growth and learning.

full spectrum autism

Full Spectrum Autism

We help clients with full-spectrum autism, including those diagnosed with ASD and sensory processing disorder, make powerful gains in academic, functional, and emotional-behavioral development.

Intellectual and Developmental Delays

Intellectual & Developmental Delays

With an individualized program, clients with learning delays, apraxia, PDD, and communication challenges can develop new brain pathways that lead to growth and learning.

Brain Injury and Stroke

Brain Injury
& Stroke

Brain Injury & Stroke

Developing the right neural pathways help students make tremendous academic, functional, and behavioral gains whether they’ve experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, cortical visual impairment (CVI), acquired brain injury, or aphasia.

Children with cerebral palsy

Cerebral
Palsy

Cerebral Palsy

Students with spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed cerebral palsy achieve strong improvement in physiological and behavioral functioning with our individualized model of care.

Children with cerebral palsy

Cerebral Palsy

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Cerebral Palsy

Students with spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed cerebral palsy achieve strong improvement in physiological and behavioral functioning with our individualized model of care.

Brain Injury and Stroke

Brain Injury & Stroke

Developing the right neural pathways helps clients make tremendous academic, functional, and behavioral gains whether they’ve experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, cortical visual impairment (CVI), acquired brain injury, or aphasia.

Children with cerebral palsy

Cerebral Palsy

Clients with spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed cerebral palsy see improvements in physiological and behavioral functioning with our customized model of care.

children with genetic syndromes

Genetic Syndromes

Dramatic physiological and relational functioning improvements are possible for clients with Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Fragile X, ML4, SCN2A, Rett syndrome, and rare chromosomal disorders.

children with emotional challenges

Emotional, Behavioral, & Relational Challenges

We help clients overcome challenges associated with high-functioning autism, ODD, ADHD, generalized anxiety disorders, behavioral challenges, learning differences, self-regulation difficulties, and mood disorders.

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The IWBMC's Trauma
Support Model

Trauma Response

Jacob’s Ladder delivers strength-based trauma informed care and specialized interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder that prioritize physical and emotional safety.

trauma_MG_3244_FB

The IWBMC's Trauma Support Model

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Trauma Response

Jacob’s Ladder delivers strength-based trauma informed care and specialized interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder that prioritize physical and emotional safety.

trauma_MG_3244_FB

Trauma Support Model

Jacob’s Ladder delivers the IWBMC's Trauma Support Model with specialized interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related difficulties prioritizing physical and emotional safety.

children with learning differences

Learning Differences

Targeted interventions help clients with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and learning delays achieve their goals by addressing root neurodevelopmental causes.

It’s About the Whole Person, Not Just the Brain.

  • We support the goals and desires of each individual, understanding barriers to success and helping to remove them.
  • Rigorous, comprehensive assessments of each individual’s neurological function focus on revealing strengths and challenge areas to prioritize interventions. Jacob’s Ladder's unique approach includes over 1,000 assessment metrics and a qEEG brain map.
  • Individualized plans outline prioritized brain-based interventions and guidelines for nutrition, sleep, exercise, and essential outdoor time.
  • Integrating each plan across all caregivers and settings supports self-regulation and strategies for creating lasting positive change in emotional-behavioral-relational health.
  • Attention to learning styles and social interaction opportunities in individualized plans supports academic success and future independence.
  • Safe social environments with strong interpersonal connections enable the brain to achieve learning and new growth, preventing fight, flight, or freeze trauma responses.
Jacob's Ladder River Hike

Science Supported Interventions

Along with our four environments, Jacob’s Ladder offers a variety of proven interventions that support the successful implementation of the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care. Combinations of these additional therapies may be part of clients’ individualized care programs, and some are available to outside clients not currently enrolled at Jacob's Ladder who need neurodevelopmental services.

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“We are so pleased to have our son at this school. He came from a public school, where he felt out of place, lacked confidence, and thought he was a bad kid. Within three and a half months, he is now a boy who is confident, happy, and learning.” 

- Ladder Parent

Measurements of Success

NFB QEEG assessments

Regular assessments and data collected from clients' intervention data tracking demonstrate how each client's brain changes. Families also see changes taking place in real-time, with successful moments and breakthroughs witnessed in daily life.

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For more than three decades, our Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care has produced measurable progress and replicable results, transforming the lives of clients and their families.

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Jacob's Ladder School & Therapy Centers
Roswell (Main Campus) & Atlanta (Buckhead)
407 Hardscrabble Road
Roswell, Georgia 30075

Founder's Story

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