Welcome to The Dance!

I am a Neuropsychologist working with brain injured and developmentally delayed adults in Western New York (near Buffalo).

I created this blog as a platform for promoting the use of brain injury tools, “cognitive rehabilitation,” with the DD population.

Change of this sort will face bureaucratic resistance and will require a great deal of organized information to counter the many “why we can’t” reactions. 

Accordingly, I hope to build this site to become a stop-off point for those:

 Who want to comment;

Who want to look for research;

Who have experiences to share in teaching cognitive process;

Links to other Blogs and Websites related to this effort;

Finally, I want to use this Blog to promote this paradigm shift in the way we teach those born with cognitive deficits.

I am new to blogging and beg your indulgence.  For example, I am also making this a page at the top of my blog so that folks down the line can see what I hope to do with it.

I hope this page can grow to be more helpful to those of us in the trenches and so I am open to comments on both the topics and the page itself.  

I am sorry if registering is inconvenient but there are a lot of folks (do I need to label them?) who seem to have too much time on their hands and too little self control. 

Thanks for the visit and I hope to hear from you!

Why ‘Dance of the Broken Brain’?

I am using this title for this Blog (and my work) for several reasons:

1. It is easy to remember. I suppose I could have called it Addressing Variations on the Ontogeny of Genetic Dysmorphisms. But, that title makes my hair hurt.

2. It emphasises the dynamic interaction of the many components of the brain.

3. As in a dance, the interaction changes as the music of the environment, the person’s needs, and the person’s history changes.

4. The dance does not stop when the brain is compromised, it continues but in a different manner.

5. As we begin to identify the various forms of the Dance of the Broken Brain, we can begin to better focus the emphasis of rehabilitation.

6. Because I work primarily in the field of developmental disabilities, I want to emphasize that the brain is compromised (broken) by way of the disability and not just slowed down, “retarded,” or delayed. (Of course, the results of the break will ’slow’ down processing and output but you are not going to fix the problem by addressing the effect of the disability as opposed to its cause.)

7. I use the word ‘Broken” because of the implication inherent in the word that broken things can be fixed!

8. Finally, by emphasizing the fact that the brain is broken, I hope to prod state regulators into making accommodations for including time to teach cognitive processes in day programs. At present, it appears that the emphasis has to be on teaching only functional skills, e.g., setting the table, using public transportation, getting dressed, etc. Hmm, While we could provide cognitive rehab as a clinical service, it is important that it be provided on a daily basis. Any comments from New Yorkers or others with more progressive regulations?

Thanks for your patience: I have a tendency to soap-box and rant!

As will be my continuing encouragement, comments are welcome.

Bob

Purpose of the Dance !

The purpose of this blog is to provide a forum for those of us who want to begin using focused cognitive rehabilitation tools with the developmentally disabled (cognitively challenged) population — children and adults.

I am new to blogging so will ask some indulgence from the reader as I learn the ropes. I hope to have a web page up soon where I can coordinate with this Blog and organize a number of themes including comments/experiences on the various commercially available rehab programs (Brain Train, Neuropsychonline, etc.); Barkley’s work on the Executive Functions; book reviews of the latest looks at genetic disorders, neuropathologies, brain organization; comments on trends in the field of developmental disabilities (i.e., the trend away from “training” to “supports”, Who is teaching Intelligence most effectively); links and references to important research programs; etc.

In addition, I will be open to general comments on one of my favorite topics: “The Myth of the Totemic Power of Words.” That is the notion that words have substance and power and that by saying the word, that power can be invoked, i.e., Don’t say the “C” word, you might get it!

As a Neuropsychologist, I am also interested in the proactive role played by the limbic system (emotions) in memory, attention, and the Executive Functions, e.g., Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis.

As I get better at this I hope to be able to set up separate forums for discussion and contributions on these topics, as well as others as the Muse dictates! Your suggestions are welcome!

Thank you for reading this far and I look forward to your contributions!

Bob