Success Stories:
Emotional, Behavioral & Relational Challenges

Combining Science and Love

Our method of care and mission to serve are what set us apart. We see incredible growth in our students and community because our methods are grounded in science and guided by love.

Emotional, Behavioral & Relational Challenges

Student Name: Joseph
Age: 12
Diagnoses: Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Combined Type, Anxiety, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Dyslexia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Emotional Behavioral Disorder

Functional Challenges: Joseph entered Jacob's Ladder exhibiting heightened anxiety causing fight or flight responses regularly. He was unable to manage stress during social experiences or manage typical academic expectations. He had limited independence and was overly attached to his parents.

By utilizing a qEEG brain map, we identified and measured areas of his brain where communication flow was lacking (hypo coherence) or where communication flow was locked and/or was overly used (hyper coherence).

His top 10 areas of challenge within the brain became the focus of his individual model of care that identified three primary goals:

Goal #1: Gain better understanding of emotions in the moment to self-monitor and problem solve

Goal #2: Control aggressive behavior

Goal #3: Stay engaged in the learning process to succeed academically

"While we initially kept thinking about his future, like how we are going to keep him out of the hands of law enforcement and ensure he is an income earning productive citizen, our standards were shrinking. Now they are starting to open up again.”

- Joseph's parents

Joseph's Program and Functional Gains

Over 9 months, specific activities were implemented in his individualized model of care to normalize connections of the brain regions that showed under- or over-activity. With instructors who guided his program with unconditional positive regard and unwavering support, Joseph learned to practice tools outlined in Zones of Regulation curriculum and the Facing Your Feelings Dialectical Behavior Therapy Module in order to better understand his emotions in the moment. His concentration, ability to manage his feelings and thoughts, and independence grew daily. Consistent behavioral measurement helped him stay on track and celebrate successes regularly.

Starting at Jacob's Ladder

Heightened anxiety levels that elicited a fight-or-flight response as his typical baseline
No observable distress tolerance during social experiences or under typical academic expectations
Overly anxious and attached to his parents, showing little tolerance for being independent

9 Months Later

Dramatic decrease in anxiety and an increase in self-regulation abilities – his baseline response is no longer fight-or-flight
Tolerates academic and social expectations, has friends, and has accomplished significant academic gains
Developed independence and a healthy autonomy from parents

Joseph's Brain Improvement

Joseph put in the hard work of developing a strong neurodevelopmental foundation and experienced terrific academic gain, along with tremendous gains in emotional, behavioral, and relational functioning. Below are examples of two connection improvements as shown through follow up qEEG brain mapping.

Communication flow between Joseph's Orbital Frontal Association Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Gyrus was lacking by -3.40 standard deviations from a normalized connection.

Through Joseph's individualized model of care, activities were implemented that improved his communication flow to -1.16 standard deviations from a normalized connection.

Communication flow between Joseph's Anterior Cingular Gyrus and Temporal Gyrus was locked and/or overly-used by +3.13 standard deviations from a normalized connection.

Through Joseph's individualized model of care, activities were implemented that improved his communication flow to +0.51 standard deviations from a normalized connection.

Areas of Focus

Orbital Frontal Association Cortex (Right)

Making inferences of other people
Modulation of affect, empathy, consequences of actions, self-expression, willpower
Planning and executing complicated goal-directed behavior