HANDLE

HANDLE®, the Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency, looks beyond such labels as ADD, autism, dyslexia, and hyperactivity and addresses the root causes of behaviours by offering effective methods of promoting efficient neurological functioning and learning.

Certified HANDLE Practitioners and Screeners use a systems view of the body and mind, examining the ways in which the various systems interact with the environment. When one of these systems is stressed or challenged, it can result in additional stress to another system (for example, eyesight causing a headache). Through observational evaluation, HANDLE providers determine which systems need strengthening or protection, and they recommend appropriate action to reduce symptomatic behaviours and improve function.

HANDLE Practitioners and Screeners utilize a holistic perspective, assessing numerous interdependent influences on each individual as we respond to a vast array of elements within our environment. This approach acknowledges the possible causal roles of chemicals, allergens, nutritional deficits, and toxins of any kind. HANDLE also considers environmental influences such as sound and light, as well as lifestyle factors, such as TV viewing and video game playing.

HANDLE offers a set of guiding principles rather than a rigid list of activities or techniques. It is a paradigm that is unified by applied neuroscience deduced from developmental behavior, including evidence that the body organizes the brain, and not the other way around. By incorporating practices from many related disciplines, HANDLE Practitioners and Screeners can carefully assess individuals and develop personalized programs that gently and effectively move people of all ages from dysfunction to function.

How HANDLE understands Autism Spectrum Disorders.

No two individuals diagnosed with autism present with exactly the same concerns or behaviors. But there are neurodevelopmental characteristics shared by many:

• Hypersensitivities, especially auditory, tactile and vestibular – which means bothered by sounds and irritated by imposed touch sensations (think seams in socks and tags in shirts), and “gravitational insecurity” because the vestibular system tells us how gravity is acting on our bodies;
• Low muscle tone (throughout the body) – which is about the readiness to respond to task challenges, of which the first and uncontrollable one is gravity itself; and it’s what we use to modulate movements (how fast, how hard, etc).

Another experience shared by many on the spectrum: digestive disorders. HANDLE practitioners consider it likely that hypersensitive ears contribute to that, because the jaw is next to the ears. When chewing anything sounds very loud (which it does if our ears are hypersensitive), we avoid chewing and thus don’t start the digestive process soon enough for the stomach to know what enzymes to create. Then it’s a kind of “domino” effect.

The last commonality to consider is language. Producing intelligible and appropriate language is probably the most complex task anyone achieves: it requires oral-motor precision and learned patterns of movement, and all of that must happen synchronized with breathing. Auditory issues and low muscle tone recur among most folks on the spectrum; either or both can limit or prevent spoken communication. The need to partner right hemisphere (ideas) with left hemisphere (words and sentence structure) complicates the more “physical” elements significantly.

HANDLE programs address all the diverse influences on function. There is a crucial one not yet named: stress. When life is difficult – proportional to how challenged anyone feels at any given time – there is an internal experience of stress. For essentially everyone on the autism spectrum, the body/brain’s baseline level of stress is very high. Anything added to systems struggling to create and maintain stability can be overwhelming. “Anything” can mean synthetic clothing or furniture, perfumes, household cleaning products, even medications, and always includes performance and behavioral expectations beyond the person’s ability. So HANDLE practitioners offer recommendations about stress management. The most frequent report of post-HANDLE behavior changes are “more calm” and “sleeps better.” Other gains: toilet training, eye contact, hair washing, balance, organization, focus – etc.! – including communication.

A so-called tantrum or meltdown is actually a call for help, a plea to notice that the stress level has overflowed its container. Parents should try to identify what pushed their loved one beyond endurance – and they should not expect it to always be the same thing. It could be noise in high-ceilinged supermarkets, or the crowds, or smells, or any combination. But there is always a precipitating cause.

For more information on The HANDLE Institute, visit www.handle.org.