| In 1994, Judith Bluestone founded The HANDLE Institute as a non-profit organization, to offer clinical services, community information, and professional training programs based on the Holistic Approach to Neuro-Development and Learning Efficiency (HANDLE). Clinical services include observational assessment and non-drug treatment for clients of all ages, with concerns about problems in social, academic, vocational and/or other performance. Diagnoses they bring with them include ADD or ADHD, autism, dyslexia, Tourette's Syndrome, seizures, stroke, and congenital abnormalities, among others. Community information opportunities reach educators, health professionals, families and clients. Each program orients the group to a unique view, which we think of as the HANDLE paradigm, of disordered behaviors. The HANDLE view essentially disregards those labels, above, and uses the behaviors themselves as signposts into the interactive and interdependent systems -- especially the central nervous system -- that all human function depends on. Professional training programs offer the educators, health professionals, families and some clients in-depth insights and skills to apply HANDLE into their respective contexts. The Institute has developed a three-tier educational sequence to allow for growth and different needs and interests. The Introductory Course focuses on the dynamic interaction among physiological and neuro-motor systems of the body, the social-emotional context for function, the cultural habits of the community (such as sedentary activities, and foods), and the physical environment (such as allergens and chemicals, lighting, fabrics). The Intermediate Course emphasizes how to identify specific weaknesses that cause the dysfunctional behaviors, and what may strengthen those weak areas. The Advanced Course is designed for those who want to become a Certified HANDLE Practitioner. Among the myths disproved by the experience of applying HANDLE with clients around the world, is the one that deficits become "fixed" -- no longer respond to therapy -- at some given time frame. One example of such a time frame is assigned to people who suffer a head injury: doctors tell them to make do with whatever they've recovered after two years. The University of Washington, in conjunction with Harborview Medical Center of Seattle, Washington, is conducting an independent research related to this. The study intends to determine whether individuals suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury, introduced to a HANDLE program many years after the injury has occurred, recover function, and if so, in what areas. Adaptable for individuals of any age, HANDLE uses guiding principles -- notably Gentle Enhancement® -- rather than a given set of techniques, and incorporates elements of many related disciplines. It is a paradigm unified by applied neuroscience, an understanding of human development and how we learn, and evidence that the body organizes brain function. HANDLE practitioners carefully assess individuals by observing their behaviors, to develop personalized home-implemented programs that gently and effectively achieve functional goals. To maintain the credential as a Certified HANDLE Practitioner, each provider complies with requirements for continuing affiliation with the Institute. For detailed information about the policies and practices and philosophy of The HANDLE Institute, go to www.handle.org. |
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| About the HANDLE Institute |
Providing HANDLE® programs in Southern California
