Maggie is walking, running, and starting to speak! (Cerebral Palsy)

As a baby, Maggie was incredibly sensitive to light, sounds, touch, and if not held in certain positions, she had trouble breathing, often gasping for breath. She had a very low tone in her body and mouth, struggling to coordinate feeding and breathing. Her mom also noticed that she had tremors in her limbs and mouth when she was on her back.

By six months old, her parents noticed that Maggie was not achieving developmental milestones. She had short periods of engagement, making sounds and started trying to crawl on her tummy. However, she could not stay on her stomach, continuously rolling onto her back and getting herself twisted. Maggie’s hands were constantly fisted, keeping her right arm tight to her body. She had spasticity in her limbs and her hips. Maggie continued to have acute sensory sensitivities. She would be overtired most of the day, struggling to nap and sleep without interruptions.

Around ten months old, it was presumed that Maggie had Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Delay. A genetic test recently determined that she also has a chromosomal deletion Xq25, which may have contributed to delayed development.

When Maggie’s parents took the online Doman Method® Course: From Special Needs to Wellness, she was about three years old. At the time, she was extremely hyperactive, constantly moving. She would tune out most of the day. Her sleep was interrupted at night, and it took a while for her to fall asleep. She could not focus meaningfully on any activity or interaction.

Maggie could walk but was not quite independent. Parents had to keep close supervision on her. She would fall at every few steps and not recognize heights or dangerous situations. She could not run. Her spastic limbs caused her knees and feet to turn in and hinder her movement.

Additionally, she had no words of speech!

Maggie’s family started on their Doman Method® home program immediately after completing the Course. They have been on the Advanced Doman Program for a year since then. Maggie is now 4 years old. She has done a daily Walking Program on different terrains to learn to navigate, along with balance activities. She has done a Reading Program with single words, word pairs, and homemade books. A Sensory Integration Program for auditory, visual, and tactile stimulation.

Maggie had begun to speak her first words of speech just with her home program. After being on the Advanced Program, at her most recent evaluation, Maggie’s parents report that she has 10-12 words of speech! The staff and parents are thrilled with this development.

Her balance, coordination, and orientation in her environment have improved greatly. She has begun walking and running with less effort to stay upright. The rigidity in her limbs has reduced. She can run nearly 100 meters nonstop. She is able to perform many skillful physical activities, as a child her age should. You can see her enjoying a bike ride in the video below.

She is more engaged and present socially. She appreciates and enjoys her Reading Program. She is now able to follow instructions. She is less bothered by sounds. Most importantly, Maggie is able to have an uninterrupted, sound sleep.

Maggie’s mom said: “The best thing to happen is how much more Maggie understands - she’s a lot faster, doesn’t need so many cues. She can really understand what’s going on around her. Mobility-wise she’s doing great - she’s much stronger, she’s just go go go! Her arm spasticity has reduced, and sleeping is much better!”

Well done to Maggie and her family! We look forward to seeing what she achieves next!