Parenting A Special Needs ChildA Message of Hope from Professor Feuerstein
Do you ever feel you walk alone, handcuffed to an insolvable problem?
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and hopeless before the challenge of nurturing our wonderful child.
She needs me SO much SO often. Sometimes an awful sensation of stuckness grips me—that I will be forever stuck in this treadmill of solving basic problems that will never improve, never get better. EVER.
(And of course there are lovely moments as well, but that is not the topic of this blogpost.)
We are fortunate in our world that some people are filled with unlimited positive energy to uplift us and guide us. Such a person is Professor Reuven Feuerstein (pictured above), a cognitive psychologist (that means he studies how we learn and think) who has devoted his life to finding ways to work miracles on unpromising conditions most scientists gave up on ever improving: attachment disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, down syndrome, brain damage, etc.
He has researched and scientifically proven that our brains can constantly develop—even after being born deficient or after suffering damage. WE ARE NOT AS STUCK AS YOU MIGHT THINK. Our children can develop beyond what we see at the moment.
Below is a concise transcript of the video that follows, in which Professor Feuerstein urges us all: Believe you can overcome! If you do—you will create amazing results!
In practical terms for us, parents of special needs children the message is this: Believe that you can constantly improve your child’s functioning—and you will discover ways to improve it. AND IT WILL IMPROVE.
My daughter was lucky to have a teacher who studied with Professor Feuerstein in Israel. I can attest to the positive effect it had on her learning abilities.
Here is the transcript and the video:
“Belief is generated by a need.
You, the parent, have the need: if you need to help your child you begin to believe you can change their disability. And if you believe—you begin to achieve.
Human beings are modifiable. Not only their behavior can be modified, but also their neurosystem—marvelously, miraculously! Actually, the behavior which we IMPOSE upon our brain really SHAPES the hardware of the brain.
Neuroscience today support this view: we can help a person’s brain no matter what their genetic condition or age. Even severely limited children can be significantly modified. More than we previously believed.
In the past we didn’t believe we could do it—so we didn’t! But once we believed we could do it and we tried—we achieved very meaningful results.”
You can visit Professor Feuerstein’s website here.
I have been trained as an IE teacher (Instrumental Enrichment is the programme Reuben Feuerstein created)
We piloted the program for 6 years at our vocational school. It is a two year programme so we had two classes each year and 8 graduating classes. The students were tested before the program and at the end of the two years. The results were outstanding! Not only did the shop teachers complain that the students were using vocabulary they did not understand: “Sir, could you please be more explicit?” but standardized test scores showed an increase in two years for most students who attended regularly. This is not often seen at this age. Several years after they graduated, we invited them back and discussed their retention of skills. Most said they were very organized not just with things, but with ideas and thoughts. The specific learning disabilities classes (students who had one learning disability and average or above average IQ all had employment, were living independently, and had maintained relationships. Some who were identified with behavioural problems were functioning well with no outbursts and were able to handle stress well. Those students in the general learning disabilities classes (low functioning) were all living independent of their families or in Community Living apartments. They all were maintaining employment in sheltered workshops or other jobs, and they felt they were smart!
The programme was cancelled because of the costs and the difficulty teachers had teaching lessons that were not ‘black and white’. The lessons had goals but the direction could change with the students’ input and responses to concepts raised in class. Many teachers who unprepared just handed out busy work sheets rather than direct the students to experience the concept. Feurerstein sold the rights to a publisher who charged for each sheet necessary for students to work out the concepts being taught. It was costly because of this. Even though everyone was able to see the amazing success, it was decided the budget had to go back to the shops in the vocational school!
Patti
Professor Feuerstein says it sooooo eloquently. Makes me think of Polar Express which our family watches every Christmas eve after church — Believe and you will hear the bell ring. If you don’t believe, the bell appears broken.
The song at the bottom of the page is also very powerful. This song is for all of us parents who continue to strive to believe to achieve and lets others know the journey would be just a little easier if friends and family would understand OUR needs and not judge or abandon us.
Sally
Thanks for the comment on my post linking me to this Caroline. I am halfway through the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and his message is the same. We need to stop thinking with such limits in our heads. We let our limitations cloud our judgement and inhibit us.
One line in particular in his book came to mind while watching this video: Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Thanks again, I will keep these thoughts in mind when I am having doubts or concerns about my son’s future.
Jean
I totally agree with you.
Napoleon Hill and Professor Feuerstein both challenge us to refuse to accept common limitations. We cannot know our real limitations but it is so much easier to give up on really challenging goals.
I need constant reminding. Professor Feuerstein’s video was a welcome pinch on my cheek.
i have enjoyed reading thank for sharing your story Greeting.
Thanks for the article. I had never heard of Professor Reuven Feuerstein. Very interesting subject. Thanks
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