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ABOUT NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL REHABILITATION (NPR)
BACKGROUND
A Chance To Grow (ACTG) was developed by parents in 1983. Bob and Kathy DeBoer had been searching for two and a half years to find ways to accelerate the development of their child with a brain injury.  Kathy found a book at the Minneapolis Public Library that gave several techniques to help people with brain injuries. In a footnote they found a reference to Art Sandler, a physical therapist, and Sandy Brown, a nurse who had been working with children who have brain injuries for 25 years.
Bob and Kathy had their daughter evaluated by Sandler and Brown in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. They returned to Minneapolis and began an intensive home treatment program to rehabilitate their child. Progress was evident after just three months. Bob and Art Sandler were invited to speak on a radio show to share the story. Over forty families responded, wanting information on how to help their children with brain injuries. Of these forty families, eight definitely wanted to see Sandler and Brown. Bob and Kathy made arrangements to bring Sandler and Brown to the Twin Cities. Over the next 15 years Art Sandler continued to travel to Minneapolis to conduct evaluations and train ACTG's staff in neurophysiological rehabilitation.
 Today, A Chance To Grow provides a range of services for many children and young adults with a brain injury. Families from all parts of the United States travel to A Chance To Grow to have their children evaluated by our neurophysiological rehabilitation specialists.
A Chance to Grow's Neurophysiological Program has less to do with disabilities than it has to do with striving towards wellness, opportunities to grow, and human development. We know that no one ever plans to have a family member with a brain injury. We also know that it is an overwhelming situation, often with very few options for the family.
 The Neurophysiological Program is for families who want more for their family member with a brain injury. It is for families who want to go that extra mile. It means choosing to open your home to the many supportive volunteers who will want to help you. It means temporarily adopting a new level of discipline and organization for your family. It may mean temporarily changing your standard of housekeeping. It means implementing a {re}habilitation program that may produce more progress for your child than you have experienced through other programs you have tried.
Often new families doubt that they can find enough volunteers to help implement their program. We know from working with many families over the years that finding volunteers is not your greatest obstacle. Your greatest task is to learn to ask for and receive help from others. We know there is a reservoir of love out there that will respond to your requests.
 A Chance to Grow staff see our role as doing whatever we can to support families who have a family member with a brain injury. This ranges from evaluating children, to training parents and volunteers, to public speaking, to help recruit volunteers, to making referrals to professional services and agencies and to helping solve family situations.
The NPR Program serves clients who have a brain-injury and/or developmental delay. It includes a comprehensive developmental history, a complete functional neurological evaluation, and a highly individualized, intensive Neurophysiological home treatment program developed by our staff. This is a two session process, involving approximately six to ten hours. Clients are evaluated and measured on a developmental profile encompassing the three major motor and three major sensory areas. Individualized programs and techniques are taught to the families. Programs are designed to take the clients through normal sequences of development, as well as providing proper physiological development through good nutritional advice.
 We recommend you make a one-year commitment to doing this intensive, home-based program.
A five-six hour lecture, Tapping The Potential Within, is scheduled quarterly at the A Chance To Grow facility. All families of clients participating in NPR programs are encouraged to attend at least once, and should attend prior to the scheduling of an initial evaluation., if possible. Information includes how the brain grows and develops, and how this influences human function and behavior.
FEE STRUCTURE
- Two-session initial evaluation with ACTG staff $800.00
- Every four-six months re-evaluation with ACTG staff $600.00 (each time)
THE EVALUATION PROCESS
History Form: We will send a history form for you to complete and return prior to the evaluation date. On that date we will review, as needed, the history information you provided. It is important to bring relevant medical records and a one-week diet sheet. If your child has mobility problems, hip problems or is not yet crawling and creeping, we will need information from your orthopedist regarding hip anatomy and stability.
Evaluation: After reviewing the history, one or more of the staff will evaluate your child. This is usually a fun time for your child. He/she will be asked to play games and perform tasks so that staff can evaluate functional levels in vision, auditory, tactile, language, manual and motor skills. The results will be recorded on a developmental profile, discussed with and given to you. If appropriate, referrals will be made to onsite registered nurses, physical therapists, speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, as well as the vision, neurotechnology and auditory clinics at ACTG.
Videotaping: Staff may ask you to sign a release so that we may videotape and/or photograph your child. Videotaping is done to record progress. It may also be shared with new parents and professionals who want to learn more about the program. Photographs may be used in newsletters or brochures.
Training: During your second session, you will spend about four to five hours learning how to help your child. This includes a program designed specifically to accelerate your child's development with "hands on" practice of the different techniques, recommendations for health (i.e. diet changes, seizures, etc.), goals for your child to achieve during a four to six month period and a time to answer any questions you may have. You may want to bring a snack for yourself and your child. Please bring your child to this meeting. We also recommend that you bring a video recorder to tape the training session. This will help you to remember techniques as well as to assist you with volunteer training.
At the end of the session you will pay A Chance To Grow's fee. A Chance To Grow should be able to help you with most questions and problems that arise when you begin your program.
Re-Evaluations: Re-evaluations take place approximately every four to six months. Re-evaluations take at least three to five hours. Again, bring your child and a snack. You will have revisit histories to fill out ahead of time. During the re-evaluation, progress will be measured. Your child may also be videotaped, and you will be taught how to do a new program. You may be given a new piece of equipment to build. Almost all of the children make good progress during a six-month period and are ready for new goals. Occasionally a child has a prolonged illness, surgery, moves to a new home or has something that interferes with their program. In this case, call A Chance To Grow. We sometimes recommend families skip a re-evaluation for these reasons.
Billing: Payment in full is due on the training day. VISA cards are accepted.
Medical Records: Please obtain a copy of the medical records from any hospitalization, physician's office, or out-patient treatment. If your child is receiving therapy in school, a report from the people working with the child is helpful. To obtain medical records, you must request them and sign a release of medical information authorization.
If your child is unable to walk or has hip problems, we will need information from your orthopedist regarding hip anatomy. A Chance to Grow's Neurophysiological Program has less to do with disabilities than it has to do with striving towards wellness, opportunities to grow, and human development. We know that no one ever plans to have a family member with a brain injury. We also know that it is an overwhelming situation, often with very few options for the family.
LINKS
Allergy Associates of LaCrosse -
www.allergyassociatesoflacrosse.com. Providers of complete allergy care using sublingual immunotherapy, allergy drops under the tongue. Ability to address all types of allergies, with high success rate of allergy desensitization.
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