«… Tyranny and outrages upon personal dignity have many forms, but none of them is so devastating as in the case of an innocent child, imprisoned in his own body, which is marked by false defects, often»deposited «and forgotten. Glenn Doman, scientist, humanist and relentless warrior, gave us the plan of battle, fighting chance for a brain-enjured child. He put an end to the false despair and gave the hope. «
Ralph Pelligra
Chief military doctor, Ames Research Center,
NASA, Moffett Field, California, USA Chairman
Board of the Institute Achievement of Human Potential
Glenn Doman — a pioneer in the treatment of children with brain injuries — brings hope to thousands of children, many of whom can not help any operations, abandoned forever, and which are doomed to fight for survival in such a terrible and, at times, dangerous world.
Glenn Doman graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1940 and one of the first engaged in the study of brain development in children. In 1955 he founded the «Institutes of Achievement of Human Potential.» The organization is situated in the United States, in the north-western suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The founder, together with the expert in psychology Carl Delakato developed a method for the treatment of children with brain injuries, published in 1960 in the Journal of the American Medical Association as the world’s first article ever reported the results obtained in the treatment of children with brain damage. Since then, he and his dedicated group of like-minded persisted continuous work for the establishment and improvement of new programs aimed at the recovery of brain-enjured children. Their work is largely fed ideas neurophysiologist Temple Fay, head of the Faculty of Neurophysiology, Medical School of Temple University and president of the Philadelphia Neurological Society. Fay believed that the infant brain evolves and passes through the stages of development of fish, reptiles, mammals and eventually humans. This hypothesis, known as the biogenetic law of Haeckel Muller argues that the injury at a certain stage of development of neurological prevents further development. Institutes Achievements Human Potential (IAHP) claim that their treatment based on the theory of neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to grow functionally and anatomically. They argue that traditional medicine has been attempting pharmacological treatment of children with brain injuries, and these medications can cause adverse effects. Institutions argue that thanks to neuroplasticity, their method of sensory stimulation can cause physical growth of the brain and improve neurological function of the brain of patients. The other side of the theoretical position of Institutes is that many of the problems of children with brain injuries caused by lack of oxygen supply to the brain. Institutes claim that their programs include a technique to improve the supply of oxygen, and this contributes to the recovery of patients.
More than 15 000 families from 135 countries visited the Institutes. Long waiting list of those who wish to get an appointment with Glenn Doman led him to decision to write the book «What to do about your brain-enjured child» in 1973, which explains the principles and techniques used Institutes. The author does not address its professionals, he writes for the parents, so it makes the book surprisingly easy to read, interesting, it touched emotionally. This is a book about years of observation of life of children around the world, the heroic story of a group of people who have never reconciled themselves to defeat. This book is about the children and their parents, this is the first book in history that speaks directly about how to treat brain-enjured children, why should we treat them that way. The author describes the half-century history of successful work of Institutes with brain-enjured children, resulting statistics with consideration of particular cases and to illustrate the basic principles of brain development tables, diagrams and pictures. The book was written by someone who knew about the subject more than anyone else. He explains why old theories and techniques failed, explains the philosophy of the Institutes and revolutionary approach to treatment of the brain, instead of useless effects on the body, tells about their breakthroughs and setbacks, their tireless efforts to improve the treatment of damage brain. He reveals his saving techniques and tools to measure them — and, ultimately, to improve them — namely, mobility, speech, manual, visual, auditory and tactile development, including unique methods of copying, use masks and creating motivation, for use in individualized home program of the Institutes, in which parents and love — the essential ingredients. And the aim of all this is that brain-enjured children can join to their peers once, avoiding the fate of being prisoners in special institutions.
Until his last days, Glenn Doman continued to spend all his time with the «best parents on earth», deeply immersed in the joyful process of recovery of sick children. Among the many awards received by him in different countries, there is such as granting him the knighthood of the Brazilian government for outstanding work on behalf of children around the world.
Since 1964, Glenn Doman and later Janet and Douglas Doman, published a number of books for parents of healthy children in reading, mathematics, intellectual development, swimming, which are in great demand in the world.
«… And yet, Glenn Doman believes that any mother in the world knows about her child more than anyone. He does not just say it and feel it in his heart, he knows it and believe in it. He believes in some things that unusual for professional. He believes in parents. He believes in children. He believes that the parents — the decision of children’s issues, while all around feel that the problem in them… He believes in the restoration of the children. Worse he believes that parents can restore children better than the professionals. He teaches parents recover their children, not because it is economically feasible, but because he is convinced that the parents will achieve better results than any professional, including himself. .. «
Raymundo Veras,
MD, Honorary President
World Organization for the Development of Human Potential
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)