Why the Online Doman Method Course?

Sep 24

For parents of children with special needs, there may be no parent training course more powerful than the Doman Method™ Course. With three days of intensive lectures and workshops, the staff of Doman International instruct, enable, and empower parents to return home and start helping their children develop and grow.

The course is designed to utilize every minute available to the parent and to make it as successful as possible. Our course facilitators include experts in the Doman Method™ who have been teaching for decades: Douglas Doman, Rosalind Doman, Melissa Doman, Marlene Marckwordt, Manuela Martini, and myself, Spencer Doman. A team of staff coaches are present to help make sure all your questions are answered.

On the first day

We begin by teaching about the foundations of neuroplasticity and how children with special needs can develop and progress. We then teach parents how to evaluate their child’s development - this evaluation sets up the family for success. Knowing how to evaluate a child’s developmental milestones empowers a family in three ways:

It provides the family and the Doman International team with a benchmark - a starting point - so we know how a child’s development compares to their peers.

The evaluation serves as a tool so the family and the Doman International team can track future success.

The benchmark evaluation gives us a roadmap so that parents and the Doman International team can design a home-based treatment program together.

On the second day

We immediately start with the practical treatment instruction of the course. We cover essential topics like:

1. How to get an immobile child moving

2. Physical programs for children who walk to improve cognitive function, coordination, and organization.

3. The importance of physical development and succeeding with your child’s physical program

4. Intellectual programs to improve cognitive function

5. Teaching reading to any child with special needs

6. Improving communication with a non-verbal child

On the third day

We continue exploring additional aspects of your child’s home treatment program. We teach about:

1. Nutrition for children with special needs

2. Creating an excellent environment for your child's overall growth

3. Seizures, physiology, and breathing for children with special needs

4. Sensory integration programs for children with sensory processing issues

5. Stimulation for children with cortical blindness and other sensory problems

6. Dynamics of success for your family and your child’s program

7. Tips and tools for getting started with your child’s home treatment

If I had to quickly name each day of the course, I would say Day One would be called “Understanding Your Child”. I would name Day Two “Your Child’s Treatment and Needs” I would call Day Three “Foundations for Success”.

On the day following the course

We offer a 30-minute free consultation with one of our staff coaches to review and discuss your child’s home program. This is private time for you and the staff coach to discuss your child and your child’s exact treatment needs. This meeting helps solidify your child’s plan and sets you up for success. This staff coach will follow up with you after the course to help answer your questions and guide you.

As a course facilitator, I love this course. The information delivered is powerful, useful, and important. It’s inspiring to me and my team when we see parents leaving the course confident and empowered to start their child’s home treatment program.

Making a decision like enrolling in the course can be a tough one — it requires some planning, expenses, time off, etc. However, for the parents who have made this leap, nearly every single one tells us by the end of the week that every sacrifice they made was completely worth attending the course.

Start by speaking to one of Doman International’s worldwide representatives. Each one of them understands our program, and just as importantly, they understand the challenges that you face as a parent.