Marlo Payne Thurman, M.S., nationally recognized educational consultant, is well known for her work in both public and private schools, and has served in a variety of learning and mental health centers. She founded the Brideun Learning Communities and The Center for Education Enrichment, a private educational consulting company specializing in meeting the needs of out-of-sync learner and Twice Exceptional children (gifted with learning disabilities). The mother of two, she works primarily with children known to have a higher Intelligence Quotient or IQ. She is based in Lafayette, CO.
Cara Lindell, Kinetic Konnections’ founder, met with Marlo Payne Thurman earlier this year after an introduction by a mutual client. Cara found Marlo’s integrated approach to understanding a child refreshing. Marlo determines how children best functions; how they are successful as opposed to focusing on what is broken or deficient. Marlo integrates several paradigms used in mental health to formulate her unique assessment approach for children struggling with learning. Marlo’s experiences, along with numerous studies and experiences of colleagues indicate that the brain’s ability to process and filter sensory information (visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, etc.) impacts the ability of a child to learn. When the brain and body work harder to filter the sensory information the child is unable to concentrate on the task at hand such as reading or being attentive.
One reason a child’s sensory processing system may be dysfunctional is that the body’s neuromuscular system is not properly aligned, which is something that is often overlooked. Marlo emphasizes that body alignment may only be one key to the puzzle. “Every child needs a comprehensive assessment. Based on that assessment, you will find your starting point or points.” she said.
Parents often bring their children to Kinetic Konnections seeking to address learning challenges. Kinetic Konnections quickly builds key brain-body connections to effect lasting changes in neuromuscular pathways enabling sensory efficiencies. If the brain doesn’t have to work as hard to coordinate the muscular system, then there is more energy for processing cognitive information. As a result, many children that have worked with Kinetic Konnections experience significant improvements in school work, behavior, social interactions and extracurricular activities.
Marlo suggests a few steps parents and educators can take if a child exhibits traits of a sensory processing dysfunction.
Evaluate Sensory Processing: First rule out a sensory integration disorder by seeing a occupational therapist (OTR/L) for an evaluation. Make sure the occupational therapist specializes in pediatrics.
Assess Cognitive Factors: Determine other factors that may be at play including cognitive learning abilities, styles and disabilities, which would include vision, auditory processing and more. This is often covered by a complete neuropsychological evaluation.
Observe: Be your own detective and observe your child’s energy levels. Marlo suggests that a child who is hyperactive all the time may not look tired, but may be exhausted. Other children are easier to read, they are fatigued by the mere mention of school work.
Make a Change: Based upon observations and evaluations pick a starting point to implement changes. As you make a change continue to observe your child. You will likely need to incorporate additional changes. Marlo adds, “There could be allergies, a learning disorder, or maybe the hip/pelvic misalignment in the body.”
For more information on Marlo’s personal journey, visit her website http://www.2econsultant.com.
October 29th, 2008
Want to help build your child’s self-esteem and confidence? Improve his balance and coordination? Or maybe you would simply like for your child to participate in a structured and fun atmosphere? For many of our clients Martial Arts training has been an effective way to address these goals.
There are a variety of martial art styles offered for children, including judo, aikido, taekwondo and karate. The different styles emphasize different techniques. However, all of them offer an opportunity for your child to learn a new skill set of different movements, and teach children to set and achieve goals. In addition, the practice has been noted to help boost children’s self-esteem, help them gain more confidence and improve their overall physical ability.
Two local martial art schools have been recognized by our parents for offering unique coaching for children needing more attention than most programs are able to provide. If you are not nearby, the qualities exhibited by these programs can be a guide to you as you interview other programs for the proper fit with your child.
Master Instructor Roger Park of Chang’s Tae Kwon Do Academy in Morton Grove attended the 7th Foreigner’s Tae Kwon Do Instructor Training Course five years ago in South Korea where he worked with children and adults with developmental and mental challenges. Since then, he has had students in his academy with a variety of special needs, including autism, ADHD, sensory integration dysfunction, motor and coordination impairments, processing issues and learning disabilities.”I really enjoy working with the kids,” said Roger, who manages the Morton Grove location. “They are so thankful for how you are helping them.”
During a class at Chang’s Tae Kwon Do Academy, Roger, as well as higher-ranking black belts, moves among the students providing individualized instruction. Roger is especially keen at tuning into a student’s particular learning style. Whether a student requires a hand-over-hand kinesthetic approach, needs to have steps verbally or visually broken down into many small elements, or requires him to move in parallel so that movements may be imitated, Roger adjusts his teaching style to accommodate student-by-student. He wants all children to feel empowered and take that sense of self with them into life outside the dojang. “The teachings of Tae Kwon Do are intended to influence the life of the student inside and outside the dojang. It is our goal to help build strength of character that will carry our students through whatever challenges they face in the future,” he said.
Sensei Jeff Kohn, director and founder of North Shore Dojo in Glenview, shares a similar sentiment for his students.
The skills learned in North Shore Dojo, such as learning to listen to direction and learning to focus, are meant to emphasize mental and physical skills that will help students succeed outside their karate practice, he said.
“It is so inspiring to see them work hard,” he said. “We want them to believe and think ‘I can do it.’” Sensei Jeff Kohn, kicked off in May the Kids Can-Do! Program and Foundation. North Shore Dojo teaches Shotokan karate and the new program offers specific classes for children with challenges including ADD/ADHD, autism, behavioral problems, sensory integration disorder, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. The Kids Can-Do! Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to give children who previously may not have had the opportunity to take karate. It also aims to work to get karate into the special and Para Olympics.
Inside the North Shore Dojo is an array of fun games and apparatus for the children to use. On one side sits a balance beam for the kids to walk across, punching bags, and an uneven surface to walk across. During class, Jeff may work with one or two of the students while at least two other black belt instructors are working with the other children. In the Kids Can-DO! Foundation, younger black belts volunteer to teach, with at least three instructors present during every class.
“The beauty of this all is that each child is being taught to do the same thing, however, the path at which they choose to get there is different,” Jeff said. “And the dream and hope for me is they all get there.”
For more information on Chang’s Tae Kwon Do Academy call 847-966-8002. For further information on the Kids Can-Do! Foundation and children’s program at North Shore Dojo visit www.northshoredojo.net or call 847-729-0001.
August 21st, 2008
Last summer, 10-year-old Nicholas showed no interest in playing sports. Muscular coordination and maintaining balance were such challenges for the fifth grader that it was difficult for him to enjoy any athletics, his mother Diane described.
“His motor skills were always poor. I’m talking basic skills, such as balancing (on two feet),” Diane said. “He used to trip a lot, and his feet turned in, so he didn’t walk well.”
But, that no longer is the case. Just eight months after starting Kinetic Konnections, Nicholas now chooses to play basketball or toss a ball around. He wants to begin Jujitsu lessons.
“After working with Cara, everything began to change,” Diane said. “There is no question in my mind that her work helped him tremendously.”
Nicholas came to Kinetic Konnections last fall, hoping to improve his motor skills. He is considered to have an autistic spectrum disorder, and at that time, was challenged with basic balance and coordination.
After five visits in a two-month period, Nicholas made remarkable improvements, Diane said. He began shifting his weight left to right. His overall body strength improved and he was using a proper heel-to-toe walking gait. In addition, he was standing taller and walking without unnecessary shoulder movement.
Although Nicholas had worked with various physical and occupational therapists prior to his visit to the Park Ridge studio, Diane said the work with Kinetic Konnections has been the most successful and beneficial for her son. The exercises Nicholas performed as “homework” were easy to understand and time efficient, she added.
“The changes occurred very quickly. Quicker than anything I’ve ever seen,” she said.
“It jump started some motor skills and his interest in sports. He was never interested in sports before but now he is playing basketball. And, he is trying horseback riding.”
“It is just fun to see him want to try all these activities,” Diane concludes.
April 10th, 2008
Mark Tolle, owner of Golf Fitness Chicago, always has been interested in physical fitness. He earned a master’s degree in exercise science from Western Illinois University and has been a Certified Athletic Trainer since 1989. Mark has spent most of his career working in sports medicine and rehabilitation. He served as director of sports medicine and as a facility manager for HealthSouth Rehabilitation.”I have always been into sports and the medical aspect of sports,” he said. “I love it, and I have the passion to help people. I am big on injury prevention and getting athletes back to playing, especially golfers.”
While working at HealthSouth Rehabilitation, Mark received his certification for personal training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He began personal training part time in 2003. In 2005, Mark shifted his primary focus to building his personal training business.
As an avid golfer, Mark understands the game and has been working with golfers for several years. He also works with non-golfers, including post-rehabilitation clients. His program for any type of client focuses on improving functional movement patterns and, simply, getting results.
“I want to improve my clients’ lifestyles and (if they are golfers), their golf games,” he said, adding that the program and exercises related to golf also help strengthen muscles used in everyday movement. “All programs are custom designed for each of my client’s needs.”
Currently, Mark lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters. Now that he is working more in the Fully Fit Lifestyles studio, he is planning to move to the Northwest suburbs in the near future.
“I look forward to working here more,” he said. “Cara’s training style and philosophy match the way I work with my golfers and clients. We learn a lot from each other.”
To learn more about Mark or to set up a free consultation, visit his website at Golf Fitness Chicago. There you can also find golf tips and share in Mark’s blog.
March 12th, 2008
Cathy Wiesner began exercising at Fully Fit Lifestyles about two years ago. At the time, the Des Plaines, Illinois resident suffered from a herniated disc in her lower back. Instead of surgery or physical therapy, Cathy opted to begin an exercise regimen to strengthen her muscles and improve her flexibility.
“I realized I needed to take care of myself,” Cathy said. “I always used to be skinny and never would work out but after I turned 40, my body began changing. I needed to do something.”
That decision has helped more than she ever could have imagined.
Cathy, an accountant, recently underwent foot surgery and was unable to exercise for eight weeks. While off her exercise routine, Cathy realized how beneficial two years of exercise had been.
“Right after the surgery, I couldn’t get in the shower and put pressure on my foot,” she explained. “So I stood on one foot and had no problem. There is no way I could have done that two years ago.”
Cathy currently attends group personal training classes at Fully Fit one to two times a week. The classes, which may include up to eight people, focus on full-body resistance training exercises using dumbbells, cable pulleys, medicine and core balls. The classes also incorporate movements challenging balance and coordination.
“I can do a lot of things now. I went on a water rafting trip last September that included hiking and I wasn’t even sore,” Cathy said, adding she has not experienced any back pain since she began working out regularly.
Excited to return to group training class, Cathy resumed her exercise mid-January. “I could have done some type of exercise before now,” Cathy said, admitting she didn’t do any at home. “Coming here makes me exercise. It (the class) is very individualized and (the instructors) pay special attention to us. It’s not like going to a huge class. It’s fun, plus I don’t want to hurt myself again.” Cathy realizes how important it is for her to continue exercising.
“It is very easy to go home after work and plop down on the couch,” she said. “It takes a little motivation to come here and do this. I want to stay in good health, plus it makes me feel good. I want to remain active and continue to move easily as I age.”
February 22nd, 2008
Many of us have come to appreciate Darcy, her skills as a fitness professional, and her hallmark laugh. Her story is an inspiration and I thought it was time for you to learn more about her. Darcy’s career path did not start in the fitness industry. She attended the University of Illinois in Champaign where she studied journalism. After working in her field for a few years, she decided to find a side job to earn some extra income so she could travel. Always a very active person, Darcy decided that personal fitness training would be a perfect fit.
Darcy’s first position in the fitness industry was at Women’s Workout World, where she started her day at 3:30 a.m. before putting in a full day at the newspaper. After a year of working at the newspaper and training on the side, she quit newspaper to pursue personal fitness training full time. (more…)
January 29th, 2008
Meet Emerson, a 4 ½ year-old with an autistic spectrum disorder called PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). Emerson had significant problems with communication and play, and some difficulty interacting with others. However, as with others diagnosed with PDD-NOS, Emerson is too social to be considered autistic. For Emerson, his affected areas were slow motor skills and speech delays.
Emerson’s mother, Josephine, heard about the Kinetic Konnections program from Emerson’s eye doctor. “After we started the skills building sessions, we saw huge improvements in his language skills and his muscle coordination,” Josephine says on Emerson’s progression. (more…)
December 14th, 2007
In this issue, we meet 8-year-old Ryan and his mother, Sarah, a reading specialist, who heard about Kinetic Konnections through another parent at the school where she teaches. Ryan, who has visual tracking and sensory integration issues, has been working with a pediatric optometrist, Dr. Ireland in Oak Park.
“I was curious if the Kinetic Konnections program could facilitate Ryan’s progress with his visual issues. I also knew how Cara worked with the child’s entire body and thought this could help Ryan overall, not just with his visual issues,” Sarah explained. So, during the summer, Ryan had three sessions during a one-month period. (more…)
October 5th, 2007
One thing that keeps people going in terms of working out is having someone to help motivate them. Another way of looking at it could be friendly competition between friends. Meet Jim Maratea and Brian Ahern — workout buddies. Jim has been working out at Fully Fit for several months and Brian for several years. Both learned about the Fully Fit WorkOut program from their wives. Since they started working out on the same day, twice a week, they have become friends.
Brian and Jim admit that having a little harmless competition when working out is a good thing. Brian says “we egg each other on, as well as everyone in the session. We hassle and tease in a good natured way.” Jim, on the other hand, says he competes with himself more than others. “When I see Brian picking up a heavier weight, I see that as a challenge and then I challenge myself too by picking up a heavier weight as well. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone.” Jim says with a chuckle.
Jim says, “In class we have a wide range of skill set and strength. It helps motivate you, but you also have to know your limitations. You have to push yourself.”
Brian and Jim play golf and insisted that working out with Cara has helped improve their game. Brian says, “I have more stamina and can hit the ball a lot farther.” Jim adds, “The core strengthening exercises help with my balance and weight shifting, which improved my swing.”
With the demands of life, it can be hard to find time to work out, but Brian and Jim schedule it into their busy lives. “It is a matter of making it a part of your routine. Work is automatic and so is working out. You have to make it part of your schedule.” says Jim. Brian has a similar response, “I schedule it twice a week no matter what. I also work out with my wife and she keeps me going.”
Jim and Brian have noticed improvement in their strength. Brian feels he is stronger overall, has lost weight and has fewer back problems. Jim is dropping sizes, losing weight and his clothes fit better. He is converting fat into muscle and couldn’t be happier. “Fully Fit is positive reinforcement!” Jim says cheerfully.
July 23rd, 2007
Daniel, an energetic 9-year-old, has traveled all the way from Texas on three occasions since the fall of 2006 to meet with Cara Lindell. Daniel has gross and fine motor skill delays in addition to a lack of saccadic movement in his eyes (A rapid irregular movement of the eye as it changes focus moving from one point to another, for example, while reading). After being in eye therapy for a little more than year there hadn’t been any improvements for four months, so his occupational therapist suggested a trip to Illinois for the Kinetic Konnections program.
Daniel’s mother, Stephanie, heard about Cara through his occupational therapist, Gayle Ainsworth (Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, TX). Gayle learned about Kinetic Konnections from Dr. Zelinsky. Gayle was very impressed with Cara’s work with the body and coordination and felt Daniel would be a good candidate for the program.
“Daniel’s eye therapy had come to a plateau.” says Stephanie. “We wanted to explore different avenues. That is when we sought out Cara. We wanted to move forward with both the eye and occupational therapy, but knew we needed improvements in other areas to continue to progress.”
Daniel has come to Park Ridge to meet Cara several times and is improving in all areas of his abilities. “We go to see Cara every month to two months; she provides a service we do not have in Texas.” says Stephanie. While it can get time consuming and expensive to travel, Cara makes it worthwhile. “Cara works very well with long distance clients. She is very good with emails and keeping in touch and she supports you away from her office.”
“His ability to use his body has improved dramatically” Stephanie adds. He had a physical therapy evaluation in school in September where they rate his ability on 25 physical skills such as jumping jacks and hopping. In September he could only do four of the skills and in May he could do 21! “That is a direct result of Cara’s program. It’s the way she looks at the body as well as the diligent practice exercises she gives us to do at home. Daniel learned 17 new physical skills in eight months.” she says with pride.
Overall, Daniel is more comfortable using his body. He used to take swimming lessons but it was too hard for him. After seeing Cara, he has tried again and is swimming a lot better than in previous lessons. “I think Daniel’s improvements are a direct result of working with Cara. We are very hopeful that he will continue to progress with Cara and I am so happy we have had the opportunity to work with her.” Stephanie beams.
June 25th, 2007
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