There’s a great story about a child with Down’s Syndrome who by the age of three was walking, running down ramps, climbing up slides, saying about 1,000 words, a bunch of short sentences, and following three-step requests.
His mother was pleased with his progress, but not the director of his program, who said “Sure, he’s a cute little guy and he’s doing nicely, but he could be doing so much better. You need to push him beyond his comfort level.”
http://www.aish.com/spirituality/growth/Going_the_Extra_Mile.asp
The director was referring a very intensive brain development program to improve vestibular function. Vestibular function includes coordination and balance skills to jump, hop, skip, and run. The child is put in an anti-gravity device with a harness and swung, flipped, cart-wheeled, rotated in all directions.
It seems the child loved this activity, but the director said “He shouldn’t be laughing and enjoying himself while being flung about like that.”Think about it. You and I would be throwing up after three minutes of those acrobatics. The fact that he’s enjoying it means his brain isn’t getting it. His cerebellum is not yet growing and developing enough to reach the kind of coordination and balance he’s going to need to function normally. You need to intensify the swinging, up the ante to the point where he’s a little uncomfortable and apprehensive. That would be a good sign.”
The mother said “I don’t know much about brain development, but as a parent trying to maximize her child’s potential, it made sense. Just as your muscles don’t develop if you don’t work up a sweat, lift weights and push yourself, a child’s brain needs to be pushed beyond its comfort level in order to create new circuits and neuro-connections.”
A few weeks later her son disliked the intensified version of the swinging routine and started complaining. The mother called the director and asked if she should stop it or slow it down.
“Stop it? No! That’s wonderful news!” the director said. “Keep the swinging at that level — that’s perfect.” He explained that her son was starting to grow new vestibular connections in his brain.
“You guys are doing a great job. And you know what,” he added, as if to impart a wonderful secret, “the more effort you put in, the more your son will develop and function as a regular kid. There’s nothing stopping him. It’s all up to you.”
The mother ends the story by bringing up an important point: to help their children develop their full potential, parents must stretch and flex their spiritual muscles as well as physical muscles.
In doing so they become much more humble, patient, grateful and wise.
We see this often at Sparks of Genius (www.sparksofgenius.com). Personal Trainers at our brain fitness center teach children and adults to overcome labels and move beyond limitations decided by others.
Just as the director was raising the bar higher and breaking the child’s comfort barrier, he was pushing both parents to go beyond their own self-imposed limitations.
Many are taught that if you can’t go over, you go under. We teach that if you can’t go over- you go over.
–Dr. Rohn Kessler
