We’ve been taking Everett to an Anat Baniel Practitioner (who specializes in pediatrics) for almost two months now. I think I thought (at least subconsciously) that God would heal Everett overnight soon after we were released from the hospital. I never really imagined we would have to fight so hard for each little improvement. Even now, I find myself assuming that when we hit a milestone the rest will just fall into place. I think that it would be extremely unlikely for that to happen, although I wouldn’t turn it down (wink, wink). So, we are trying to focus on giving Everett as much therapy as we can possibly afford now, while he has as much neuroplasticity as possible (None of the experts agree on the boundaries of neuroplasticity, but it is widely accepted that the brain is most plastic from birth to one, then still extremely plastic, although less than during the first year, until age three, then still plastic, but significantly less so after that). There have been reports of changing the brain well into adulthood, but it’s more rare. As much talk as I have seen about neuroplasticity, none of the studies can say how to achieve it (which of course is the million-dollar-question). Anat Baniel claims that her nine essentials ARE neuroplasticity (they are outlined on her website and explained thoroughly in her book). I think she’s right. Everett’s back is completely changed since we began this therapy. It is still not completely symmetrical, but there is tone on his right side where there was absolutely none before. I wish it was a magic cure that worked overnight, but we are truly seeing small improvements.

I posted about Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI), our other Cerebral Palsy therapy here