Neuroplasticity

• Differential rearing effects on rat visual cortex 

  • Turner, A. M., & Greenough, W. T. (1985). Differential rearing effects on rat visual cortex synapses. I. Synaptic and neuronal density and synapses per neuron. Brain research, 329(1-2), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(85)90525-6

  • Dr.William T. Greenough, one of the foremost researchers of neuroplasticity and a supporter of the Doman Method®, made significant findings about brain plasticity throughout his career. He discovered in this research that rats in enriched environments had more synapses per neuron. Synapses are the connections between brain cells. This increase in synapses showed that providing a better and more stimulating environment could result in better neural networks and communication between neurons. The Doman Method® includes a holistic approach with its home-based programs designed to help develop the brain and improve the functions of a damaged cortex in special needs children. Through neuroplasticity, the human brain is able to change and adapt thus creating better brain function and allowing special needs children the ability to learn and respond to their environment. 

• Rearing complexity affects branching dendrites in the visual cortex of the rat

  • Volkmar, F. R., & Greenough, W. T. (1972). Rearing complexity affects branching of dendrites in the visual cortex of the rat. Science, 176(4042), 1445–1446. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.176.4042.1445

  • This research done by Drs. Greenough and Volkmar showed that rats in enriched conditions (with increased sensory stimulation and physical activity) have greater dendritic fields than rats without stimulation and activity. Dendrites are the part of the neuron that accepts signals from other neurons. This research showed that the dendrites had more branches in rats with enriched environmental stimulation. Programs from The Doman Method® provide special needs children with various activities of stimulation and activity that contribute to the development of their brain. This helps create an enriched environment where neurons in the brain can constructively accept and communicate with other neurons increasing the overall health of special needs children. 

• Complex experience promotes capillary formation in young rat visual cortex 

  • Black, J. E., Sirevaag, A. M., & Greenough, W. T. (1987). Complex experience promotes capillary formation in young rat visual cortex. Neuroscience letters, 83(3), 351–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(87)90113-3

  • Greenough and other researchers found that enriched environmental conditions (increased sensory stimulation and physical activity) led to 80% better capillary volume in the brain. Capillaries are blood vessels, so this research showed that blood transport to the brain improved with environmental stimulation and physical activity. When on Doman Method® treatment plans children with special needs are given activities to increase their sensory stimulation along with mobility programs that help promote physical activity. Respiratory programs from the Doman Method aid in the delivery of oxygen to the brain which further assists in healthy brain function of children with special needs. 

• Predictors of treatment outcome in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder: An observational study in the Greater Geneva Area, Switzerland 

  • Robain. F., Franchini. M., Kojovic. N., Wilde. W. H., Schaer. M. (2020). Predictors of Treatment Outcome in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Observational Study in the Greater Geneva Area, Switzerland. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 50, 3815 – 3830. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04430-6  

  • In order for intensive, early intervention to be effective, it must be carried out during the child’s critical development period to capitalize on brain plasticity.  The researchers also found that children with lower cognitive abilities at baseline made greater gains in development than those with higher abilities at baseline. The Doman Method® Programs are comprehensive treatment plans ideal for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The effectiveness of early and intensive intervention treatments for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is high. Assessments show higher cognitive growth as well as more communication and better social interaction, yielding to more cerebral plasticity of the brain at a younger age.

Nutrition

• Gluten sensitivity and epilepsy: a systematic review

  • Julian, T., Hadjivassiliou, M., & Zis, P. (2019). Gluten sensitivity and epilepsy: a systematic review. Journal of neurology, 266(7), 1557–1565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-018-9025-2

  • Epilepsy is 1.8 times more prevalent in patients with Coeliac disease compared to the general population. Gluten sensitivity is higher in patients with childhood epilepsy (partial and occipital paroxysms, temporal lobe epilepsy). A particularly interesting presentation of epilepsy in the context of gluten-related disorders is a syndrome of coeliac disease, epilepsy and cerebral calcification (CEC syndrome) which is frequently described in the literature. Gluten-free diet (GFD) is effective in the management of epilepsy in 53% of cases, either reducing seizure frequency, enabling reduced doses of antiepileptic drugs or even stopping antiepileptic drugs. The Doman Method® is committed to providing strategies that contain the best nutrition plans for children with special needs. Its holistic approach is intended to help the overall well-being and growth of children with special needs. 

• A review of gluten- and casein- free diets for treatment of autism

  • Elder, J. H., Kreider, C. M., Schaefer, N. M., & de Laosa, M. B. (2015). A review of gluten- and casein-free diets for treatment of autism: 2005-2015. Nutrition and dietary supplements, 7, 87–101. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDS.S74718 

  • While strong empirical support for the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet in ASD is currently lacking, studies point to the need for identifying subsets of individuals (e.g., those with documented gastrointestinal abnormalities) who may be the best responders to the GFCF diet. Through an integrative system of programs, the Doman Method® includes ways to address the demands of nutrition and health in children with special needs. Its physiological program strives to provide autistic children with the proper treatment plans required to control gluten and casein in their diet.

• Sweets are BAD for seizures

  • Patel, M., & Rho, J. M. (2012). Sweets Are BAD for Seizures: Sweets Are BAD for Seizures. Epilepsy Currents, 12(6), 218–219. https://doi.org/10.5698/1535-7511-12.6.218

  • The study found that factors that reduce glucose metabolism produce a marked increase in the activity of metabolically sensitive KATP channels  (potassium channels in cell membranes) in neurons, as well as resistance to behavioral and electrographic seizures in vivo. Along with a home-based program in a clean environment, the Doman Method® encourages a healthy diet free of sweets to reduce the frequency of seizures. It gives parents the tools needed to focus on cognitive development, physical activity and proper sleep habits all while incorporating safe nutrition plans to help treat their children with special needs.

Running

• Improving cerebral oxygenation, cognition and autonomic nervous system control of a chronic alcohol abuser through a three-month running

  • Cabral. A. D., Costa G. K., Okano. H. A., Elsangedy. M. H., Rachetti. P. V., Fontes. B. E. (2017) Improving cerebral oxygenation, cognition and autonomic nervous system control of a chronic alcohol abuser through a three-month running program. Addictive Behavior Reports, 6, 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2017.08.004

  • Running and walking programs increase prefrontal cortex oxygenation. Quoting from the study, “How regular physical activity helps increase oxygenation to the brain and improves cerebral function, cognition, cardiovascular health…. It also is an effective way to treat many physiological, psychosocial disorders. It promotes neuroplasticity and improves efficiency of some cerebral structures... Aerobic exercise has also shown to increase prefrontal cortex oxygenation.” The Doman Method® incorporates running and walking into its programs as a form of exercise that helps improve the respiration of children with special needs. It also helps improve other cortical functions like learning, cognition and understanding.

• Voluntary exercise increase brain tissues oxygenation and spatially homogenizes oxygen delivery in a mouse model of Alzherimer’s disease 

  • Lu, X., Moeini, M., Li, B., de Montgolfier, O., Lu, Y., Bélanger, S., Thorin, É., & Lesage, F. (2020). Voluntary exercise increases brain tissue oxygenation and spatially homogenizes oxygen delivery in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiology of aging, 88, 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.11.015

  • This study suggests that compromised brain oxygenation is an indicator of the onset of Alzheimer’s, with the emergence of potential deleterious mechanisms associated with hypoxia. Although Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that results in degeneration of brain cells, thus leading to decrease in social, cognitive, behavioral abilities, and also impairs a person’s ability to function independently, this study is pertinent to the Doman Method™. The study demonstrated that before exercise, there was a decrease in oxygen partial pressure which was near small almost-hypoxic areas in the brain, there was also reduced blood flow. After the exercise, these conditions reverted. The team noticed a correlation between running distance and brain oxygen/blood flow and that exercise enhanced the neurovascular oxygenation process. Exercise is important to reduce impairments present with cognition, social skills, daily-life functions, or general independence. Symptoms can be reverted by exercise, thus improving oxygenation in the brain. The Doman Method® encourages physical exercise to help improve overall development in children with special needs.

• Exercise reverses behavioral and synaptic abnormalities after maternal inflammation

  • Andoh M, Shibata K, Okamoto K, Onodera J, Morishita K, Miura Y, Ikegaya Y, Koyama R. (2019). Exercise reverses behavioral and synaptic abnormalities after maternal inflammation. Cell Reports, 27 (10), 2817 -2825.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.015 

  • A mouse model of autism has revealed how exercise changes the structure of the brain by eliminating the excess connections between neurons characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). After one month of voluntary running on a wheel, behavioral differences disappeared and structural differences in ASD model mice’s brains were reduced. The Doman Method® Mobility Programs provide kids with autism with physical activity necessary to reduce behavioral patterns typical for ASD and improve social skills.

Cross - Lateral Movement

• Linking motor development in infancy and early childhood to later school learning.

  • Jane Williams. (2013). Linking motor development in infancy and early childhood to later school learning. Australian Journal of Child and Family Healthy Nursing, 10 (1), 15-21. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jane_Williams32/publication/326930115_Linking_motor_development_in_infancy_and_early_childhood_to_later_school_learning/links/5ca96f5292851c64bd55eb5f/Linking-motor-development-in-infancy-and-early-childhood-to-later-school-learning.pdf

  • In the Millennium Cohort study, important milestones were monitored for children in their first years of life. One milestone that was tracked was the ability for babies to creep on their hands and knees. For children who were unable to creep by 9 months of age, their likelihood to have cognitive difficulty increased. This was observed by tracking children from birth to 5 years of age. This demonstrates that early mobility milestones, like crawling and creeping, are important stages not only for movement, but also related to cognitive development. The Doman Method® has emphasized the importance of cross lateral movement, especially crawling and creeping, to enhance neurological benefits. This research demonstrates the importance of these physical activities.

• Cross-Lateral movement to promote functioning and executive function in young adults with autism spectrum disorder.

  • Chow, Courtney, (2018). Cross-Lateral Movement to Promote Motor Functioning and Executive Functioning in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses, 69. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1091&context=expressive_theses

  • This research was done with young adults with intellectual disabilities and autism, aged 18-22 years. It demonstrated that cross lateral movement and activities can help improve motor development and executive function. Cross-lateral movement has been an important part of the Doman Method® and treatment of children and adults for decades. This research showed that cross-lateral activities could help improve brain function, even for young adults. This shows that regardless of age, these treatments can produce real effects with patients.

• Learning to crawl

  • Adolph. E. K., Vereijken. B., Denny. A. M. (1998). Learning to crawl. Child Development, 69(5), 1299-1312. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06213.x

  • This research showed that babies that were able to crawl on their bellies proficiently had better speed and quality of creeping on their hands and knees, compared to children that skipped the crawling milestone. This demonstrates that more basic cross-lateral forms of movement for children help in the development of higher stages of mobility. In the Doman Method®, crawling on the belly and creeping on the hands and knees has been observed to help improve the quality of movement. This research shows that mobility milestones are related and that achievement of one milestone can help a future milestone develop.

• The effects of training in crawling on the motor and mental developmental of infants

  • Lagerspetz. K., Nygåkd. M., Strandvik. C. (1971). The effects of training in crawling on the motor and mental developmental of infants. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 12(1), 192- 197. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.1971.tb00623.x

  • This research demonstrated that for babies under 1 year of age, if they were taught and encouraged to creep by adults, that they began to creep earlier than children who did not receive the training. This demonstrates that the speed that children achieve important mobility milestones can be greatly helped by the intervention of adults. The Doman method® focuses on helping children with mobility delay to help them learn to crawl, creep and walk.  This research demonstrates why early intervention in movement can be greatly effective.

Math

• Number sense in infancy predicts mathematical abilities in childhood 

  •  Starr, A., Libertus, E. M., Bannon, M. E. (2013). Numbers seen in infancy predicts mathematical abilities in childhood. Proceedings of the National Academy of science of the United States of America, 110 (45) 18116-18120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1302751110

  • The research demonstrated preverbal number sense in 6-month-old infants predicted standardized math scores in the same children 3 years later. This discovery shows that number sense in infancy is a building block for later mathematical ability and invites educational interventions to improve number sense even before children learn to count. Babies have an intuitive number sense, which is the founding premise of the Doman Method® Math Program. Teaching math in early learning supports success in formal education in later life. 

• Number sense across the lifespan as revealed by a massive Internet-based sample 

  •  Halberda, J., Ly, R., Wilmer, B. J., Naiman, Q. D., Germine, L. (2012). Number sense across lifespan as revealed by a massive Internet-based sample. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, 109 (28) 1116-11120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1200196109 

  • Researchers in this study report that ninth graders with a math disability were more likely to have an imprecise number sense. They also have found a correlation between an inherent grasp of quantity and such basic number skills as counting among children as young as 3 years old. The Doman Method® Math program encourages teaching number sense at a very young age, by teaching children quantities before numerical symbols. It also recognizes effectiveness in teaching math to children and individuals with learning disabilities and developmental delays at any age. 

• The impact of a supplementary preschool mathematics curriculum on children’s early mathematics learning

  • Wakabayashi, T., A. A. Femamdo., Schweinhart, L., Xiang, Z., Marshall, A. B., Markley, A. C. (2020). The impact of a supplementary preschool mathematics curriculum on children’s early mathematics learning. Early Childhood Research Quarterly (53) 329 – 342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.04.002 

  • This study examined the benefit of Numbers Plus, a targeted early math intervention, in addition to the whole child preschool curriculum, HighScope, which was already in place. The researchers found a positive effect on children’s math outcomes as measured by the Early Math Assessment System. The Doman Method® Math Program is a structured curriculum that emphasizes on number sense to capitalize on mathematical skills as early as possible.

Early Reading

• Variables that predict the potential efficacy of early intervention in reading in Down Syndrome 

  • Bello. R., Teruel. S. D., Conde. C. J. (2020) Variables that predict the potential efficacy of early intervention in reading in down syndrome. Psicología Educative, 26(2) 95 – 100. https://doi.org/10.5093/psed2020a1

  • Within an early childhood care program, 20 five year old children with Down Syndrome participated in a reading program. The experimental group had greater reading abilities and performed better neuropsychologically. This study also concluded that rhythm and attention predicted reading. The Doman Method® Reading Program, which methodically teaches reading with well-designed frequency, intensity and duration suited for children with learning difficulties. When given learning opportunities, children, including those with Down Syndrome, can improve their cognitive skills, psychosocial and linguistic abilities as well as academic success in later life.

• Shared Book Reading in Early Childhood: A Review of Influential Factors and Developmental Benefits

  • Hoyne, C. and Eagan, Susanne M. (2019) Shared Book Reading in Early Childhood: A Review of Influential Factors and Developmental Benefits. An Leanbh Og, 12(1), 77-92. 

  • April 2019: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335627073_Shared_Book_Reading_in_Early_Childhood_A_Review_of_Influential_Factors_and_Developmental_Benefits 

  • This is a study on infants and young children in Ireland before primary school seeing positive effects of shared book reading at a young age in home with parents. The Doman Method® recognizes that parents play a vital role in early development of a child. Early reading in infants and young children have shown results of improved understanding, vocabulary and academic success.

• Why talking to little kids matters (TedTalk) 

  • August 15, 2014 

  • Anne Fernald 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpHwJyjm7rM 

  • Child directed speech can improve processing speeds when it comes to recognizing familiar words, as explained in this informative TedTalk. Dr. Anne Fernald is the director of the Language Learning Lab of the Stanford Psychology Department and one of the world's leading experts in infant-directed speech. The child will also be able to attend to unfamiliar words and build a larger vocabulary. The Doman Method® encourages parents to talk to their children with special needs. Parent-child conversations help improve a child’s understanding, speech and interaction with their environment.

• Vocabulary, syntax, and narrative development in typically developing children and children with early unilateral brain injury: Early parental talk about the ‘there-and-then’ matters” 

  • Demir, Ö. E., Rowe, M. L., Heller, G., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Levine, S. C. (2015). Vocabulary, syntax, and narrative development in typically developing children and children with early unilateral brain injury: early parental talk about the "there-and-then" matters. Developmental psychology, 51(2), 161–175. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4307606/ 

  • The study demonstrates that early parent decontextualized language predicts later vocabulary, syntax, and narrative performance in kindergarten in typically developing and brain injured children. The outcomes of this study were even greater for children who had lower syntax and narrative skills at 30 months.The Doman Method® encourages parents reading to their children with special needs, orienting them throughout the day and keeping them in conversation through communication and reading programs.