At A Chance To Grow, we know from experience that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to helping individuals reach their highest potential. Every client we see is unique. We are proud to be able to offer  so many therapeutic modalities to help our clients achieve their goals. Our therapists -- experts in auditory, vision, occupational, speech/language therapies and neurotechnology -- routinely work collaboratively to best address client needs. We believe that everything related to our health and wellness is connected, and it’s through this holistic lens that our team is able to provide the most comprehensive and individualized care for the whole person.

For example, our Neuro Integrative Clinic combines elements of reflex integration, developmental movement, and sensory processing therapies that collectively promote brain growth and social, physical, and emotional development. 

To give our clients the most comprehensive care available, we continue to add therapeutic approaches. So we are delighted to announce that Jennifer Voorhees, an occupational therapist (OTR/L) who is trained in CranioSacral Therapy techniques, reflex integration and sensory processing therapies, has joined the Neuro Integrative Clinic. This is a wonderful addition to our panoply of approaches, as CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a whole-body treatment that supports and nourishes the central nervous system. CST was pioneered in the 1970’s by Dr. John Upledger and is based on the idea that the body is interconnected at all levels – physically, emotionally and spiritually. This aligns with our overall holistic approach, allowing us to treat the whole person, not just the affliction. ​

Typically, the fascia tissue glides smoothly over the areas of the body, with little resistance or tension. When an illness or injury occurs, which may be physical or emotional,  inflammation and scar tissue from the healing process may disrupt the fascia’s ability to function, restricting movement and causing pain. 

“From the top of our head, down to our toes, we’re connected by our fascia,” says Jennifer. “The slow, pumping rhythm of fluid through our bodies creates an ebb and flow on the fascia, allowing us to feel what’s moving, and what’s restricted.” 

The goal of CST is to respectfully guide the body’s own healing systems through gentle facilitation of the fascia as it returns to its full functional form. This is accomplished by applying gentle pressure – no more than the weight of a nickel – to assess and guide the fascia to restore the movement of the body’s tissues. . “Healing can happen when a  person’s system - mind, body, spirit - is ready and supported to release restrictions,” says Jennifer. “There are times when our body needs a certain amount of restriction for short periods to heal itself. But when the body is ready and I feel the fascia start to shift and release, I just follow the rhythm that we can feel within the fascia, and gently encourage the movement in the direction of healing.” ​

For as long as he can remember, Samson has had vision problems. When he was young, he was always tripping over things, misjudging distances. He was given glasses at an early age, but even with them, he had trouble seeing.

He gave up reading for pleasure, and instead turned to video games, playing repetitive games whose patterns he could remember so he didn’t have to track with his eyes so much.

But Samson is a smart guy with a wide range of interests and a determination to get ahead.  Despite his reading problems, he graduated from a rigorous private school and got a BA from the University of Minnesota.  He loves theatre and dance, history and politics.  He is fluent in a second language, Spanish, and having visited Spain twice, his long-term goal is to move there.
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But none of these accomplishments came easily. He says his vision issues were an “invisible problem” that bedeviled his teachers and friends – everyone knew he was smart, but couldn’t understand why he had trouble keeping up with his work. He has loving, concerned parents who did everything they could think of to help him, encouraging him, taking him to specialists, including regular eye doctor visits. Optometrists would prescribe glasses, but his problems persisted. As Samson discovered when he came to A Chance To Grow’s Vision Clinic, the problem was, they were focusing only on his eyes, not on the eye/brain connection that was at the root of his problem.

When Samson’s mother saw the evidence, she cried. It was the first time in Samson’s 31 years that anyone could show her what was wrong.

With the information generated by the program, Dr. May was able to diagnose Samson with Oculomotor Dysfunction and Accommodative Excess, meaning his eyes have difficulty tracking, and he overcompensates to correct. She also found that his glasses prescription is anisometric,
meaning he has a large difference in the prescription for each eye. Those issues have made it very difficult for his two eyes to develop in a way that worked together. It also profoundly affects his depth perception.

This explains so much of what Samson has experienced. When eyes can’t work together, sustained attention for near tasks, like reading, are straining and exhausting. Ultimately vision is uncomfortable and demotivating, affecting vision-driven tasks. That’s basically everything: reading, driving, learning, even walking around and knowing where you are in space depend on those skills.   
​Dr. May prescribed eye exercises, which Samson has been doing regularly at home, as well as sessions on equipment in the office. The plan is based on very careful goal setting that emphasizes mastery of individual skills. When each skill is mastered, Dr. May and Samson will carefully put them together, giving Samson control of his system as a whole. After that, it’s just continued practice and maintenance. “The whole process is Samson’s work,” says Dr. May, “I’m just facilitating and giving him the best tools I have for him to regain control.”
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​Samson reports that he never realized his eyes were jumping so much. Since beginning his vision therapy, he says he can see things much better. He is hoping one day soon, he will be able to drive, and become more independent. He says, “Tell people it’s important to ask questions and look at things differently, find someone who will look for deeper issues. It wasn’t about the eye itself, it was about the eye/brain connection.”

Says Darla, a S.M.A.R.T. Steps provider in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota: “A lot of the things I knew in the back of my head, but I just wasn’t putting the two together, like how it was actually helping the child with little things, like sitting or focusing. Knowing that this is really helping my kids in the long run of their lives, and how it can be useful even for me to do, it’s just so positive!”
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LaDonna, another provider from Sleepy Eye, says her kids love the activities and are now doing them every day. “We like to do stuff all the time - fine motor, gross motor, at least a taste of it every day. And it’s easy for me because I’m not using a big curriculum,” she says. “When we make our projects or read our books, we can get it all put together quickly, no problem.”