The relationship between wellbeing and the senses of the physical body is described by neuro-scientific research in terms of integrated brain activity.
The work of Glenn Doman at the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential illustrated that functional activity determines structural development in the brain as well as in the body and ‘….lack of function results in an immature or abnormal structure.’ In his work Doman particularly noted that hip sockets, chest development, auditory and visual perceptual acuity, and circumference of the head, were all areas of notably immature development in brain damaged children due to lack of function rather than permanent physical abnormalities. Doman described the following example: children who cannot walk and do not have hip sockets will then have orthopaedic surgery to create artificial hips, however the child still does not walk because ‘it is not that we walk because we have hip sockets…. but rather that we have hip sockets because we crawl, creep and walk.’ (Doman,1960:184,189,262&258)
This is the story of Doran’s journey of recovery from severe brain damage to normal development as described by his mother, Linda Scotson. (Scotson,1985:72)
At only three days after his birth Doran’s bilirubin test was shown to be dangerously high. After successful blood transfusions his life was no longer in danger, however there was rigidity in all Doran’s limbs and a distinct lack of response to sensory stimulus such as touch, light, movement or sound which illustrated the level of brain damage he had incurred. A consultant considered that whatever intelligence he had retained he may never be able to use.
At seven months Doran functions were still below that of a 2 month old baby. Doran was not growing, he had no control over his head, his hands were still fists, and there were no messages to link the different parts of his body.
Instinctively his mother thought that being in water, because all young children love water play, might give Doran a sense of wellbeing. So she took him swimming twice every day, which he enjoyed. He became much happier, ‘he now smiled more than he cried’ and made non-verbal social communication with people. (Scotson,1985:72)
Later she discovered the work of Glen Doman at the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential. Doman noted that brain injured children were not given time on the floor the very place where all normal children learn about the relationship between arms and legs and movement. Doman cited that Gesell ‘described the floor as the athletic field of the well child’ and research which illustrated that visual and auditory perceptual development is directly linked with that of movement and mobility..(Doman,1960:48-50&167)
’While complete lack of auditory acuity (deafness ) was often present in our children, it was much more common to find children who could hear that could not hear in a way that permitted them to interpret what they heard.’ (Doman,1960:90)
Since Doran could not control either his head or his eyes it was hard for him to locate sounds or connect them to any particular event. His mother wrote ‘I was sure Doran was watching but the preferred position of his pupils appeared to be two half moons on either side of the bridge of his nose.’ [This relaxed state of the eye muscles can be normal when the eyes are closed while the person is sleep].
Doman illustrated that blindness for most of the children was not a problem in the physical structure of the eye but that of connections within the brain. Children like Doran who cannot hold up their head, therefore cannot voluntarily turn their head towards a sound and thereby have the motivation to strengthen the eye muscles and visually track what is happening.
At the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential, the first principle of the remedial programme for treating brain injured children was the importance of being on the floor.
On the floor almost every moment of his time awake, Doran eventually learnt to roll over from front to back and vice versa. He was able to use this ability to move himself to get to different places around the room.
Later with the aid of the anti-roll devise and most of his day on the floor, he learnt to crawl.
The ‘Masking method’ was used throughout his day. This method was used to create a high level of carbon dioxide in the air inhaled which stimulates the body’s automatic reflex response of deeper breathing and dilatation of blood vessels to increase the flow of oxygen to the brain. Thus, by wearing a mask for regularly repeated periods, once every hour or more for up to one minute, breathing becomes stronger and oxygen supplies are improved. (Scotson,1985: 84,106,133)
Doran’s growing physical development was accompanied by his attainment of normal perceptual and intellectual development. By the age of four his progress was notably average or above for his age in all areas of his development.