What do you look at when you have a child who is not performing in class?

Is there something more the child should be doing? Is there something more we as teachers or parents could do? Are we addressing this child’s individual learning style? Is the classroom’s environment conducive to their needs?

There are many aspects that can be looked at, yet we could be missing a crucial part of the picture. If this child is stuck in ‘survival mode’, none of these external factors are going to have the impact we would like.

Today’s children are often in a permanent state of survival mode or ‘flight-or-fight’ response, due to a number of different stresses being placed upon them both at home and at school.

Let’s have a look at what happens to our body when we are stuck in flight-or-fight mode. Remember that this is one of your body’s basic reflexes that has been with us since early man. It has been called a ‘response to the Sabre-toothed Tiger’. It is when all parts of your body go into survival mode so that you can best respond to danger.

The blood goes to all of your large core muscles so you can either fight or run. Have you ever tried to unlock a door in a hurry when the phone is ringing inside with what you know is a very important call? Did your fingers feel a bit like fat sausages? We lose our ability for fine motor control – not important if we are about to be eaten, but not so good if we are in control of a key or pen or pencil.

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Article by Marion Miller

Do you have a child in your class who has an unusual grip on his pen or pencil?

His grip is so tight that the whites of his knuckles show; he presses so hard that the indentation goes through three or four sheets of paper? He may even rotate his page by up to 90 degrees. Does the intense concentration he need to simply manipulate his tools hinder his creative process?
This could be the result of the lack of inhibition of the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), which is one of the primitive reflexes.

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Article by Marion Miller

I want to thank you for yesterday.

Something neat happened last night. Up until I was about 5 or 6 yrs I had a happy place, where if I closed my eyes I could make beautiful pictures and colours on a screen. I got a lot of comfort from that. Around the age of 5 or 6 yrs I lost that ability, I closed my eyes one day and could only see black, and all my dreams have always been black with very vague shadows. I missed that ability and comfort terribly right up until my twenties when I finally gave up on it.

Last night I had a dream which started off as normal which is (uncomfortable and me in a bad situation) but then it turned into the most wonderful dream full of beautiful colours. I was in control of what happened to me in the dream. I couldn’t describe the dream in a million years but I do remember lots of little snippets of the dream where there was violence and just plain conflict between people but I was able to avoid them and stay in my own happy place.

The other great thing was, when I woke up at 1.30 am I felt as though a giant knot had been taken out of my body, mainly my tummy.

I wrote this email by hand at 3.30 am last night and the amazing thing is I wrote it totally effortlessly. Which is amazing because writing has been a real hassle to me for years.

I was learning lessons during the dream. I learnt that I don’t have to walk with people every step of the way and try and rescue them. I don’t have to feel responsible or guilty because they are not happy or coping. I am allowed my own happy place. I don’t have to be attached to people at the hip for the relationship to feel real. I feel free.

This is a great gift I have received. If it wears off over time I will return for another session. I feel so good today I can’t believe it.

Practitioner: Marion Miller

We are very educated people, and like most nowadays, we have access to all sorts of information from all the usual sources. We have never accepted that our son had ADHD as to our minds, he did not fit the pattern, varied though that pattern may be. In our opinion he was, put simply, “wired up wrong”! We had tried many “alternative” therapies with mixed results, but had not found anything that helped him beyond making him “feel nice” for an hour or two.

Luckily, after a change of school, we met an RT/LB teacher who was interested enough to look beyond the norm, and she introduced us to Marion Miller, a Neuro-Linguistic Kinesiologist.

Our first appointment was LIFE ALTERING. I took an angry, violent child into her treatment room and left with an openly affectionate son. At last, someone who could help – and not only that, but who could explain why our boy was doing what he was doing. The most basic result is that my son no longer hits other children – for the simple reason that he no longer has the over-developed fight/flight instinct. This was an IMMEDIATE benefit, noted the very next day at school.

The other benefits have been legion! Life at home is much calmer, he has a great relationship and friendship with his younger sister, and, for the first time in his life, he has friends! We still have our problems, and we still make regular trips for treatment (about once every 4-6 months) but he now knows when he is losing control, and he is the one who instigates the appointments.

I will never be able to thank Marion, and the NLK, enough. She has restored my son to me – and anyone who has a “special” child will fully understand that statement. I would urge anyone who feels that their child has behavioural issues to investigate NLK as an alternative to the awful drug regime handed out willy-nilly by the so-called specialists. In our case, specifically, Ritalin would have been disastrous as my son is not ADHD, as proved by the NLK and later backed up by further “Western” diagnosis.

However, if we had not been so adamant in finding alternative solutions, we would now have a drugged, semi-functioning child (and I am still waiting, three years down the line, for the specialists to send me information on 20 year research on the effects of this drug!).”

Practitioner: Marion Miller

He hated the feeling of wind in his face and falling rain made him totally panic. He had many fears and phobias including that he couldn’t cope with birthday candles, certain smells and watching TV. Corey complained of a sore stomach constantly, describing it in his words as “fizzy like lemonade”.

Going to school caused him to pace the floor up and down the hallway wringing his hands asking over and over again “when will you be coming back?” His mother said “It is extremely difficult walking away everyday knowing your child is scared and sobbing for you.” The teacher says that he is okay providing she keeps to the same routine and anything extra or a change, such as assemblies, causes problems.

Work done
To date, I have seen Corey three times. The work I have done included an NLK VAK Repatterning, some Phobia and Sensitivity Tapping and Barbara Wards’ Noise Sensitivity Balance. Corey and his mother have been taught a range of the NLK Mental Fitness Exercises to do with the 5-minute Switch On tape every day. This has achieved amazing results – see his mother’s journal below.

Mother’s Journal
Gary and I feel Corey responded well to his kinesiology with Marion today, after explaining to him about going to this lady’s home and using the spiral staircase, he was quite keen. Marion had a lovely approach, and with writing to her ahead of our appointment, she was well aware of Corey’s worries, and was able to start working with him straight away without having to ask for a lot of information. I hope with all my heart this works for Corey, as he deserves to feel relaxed and happy with his life. He fell asleep quickly tonight after his first treatment, I think this might be a good sign?

This morning we started our NLK Mental Fitness cassette tape, it will be a commitment I’m very willing to do providing I can see positive results. It’s a very happy tune, that Corey enjoyed, he even asked it we could repeat the exercises again. Marion said any extra times in a day is a bonus, so we did.

It has only been a week since we began our kinesiology routine. Corey is showing very good signs towards these exercises helping him. His constant agitation seems to be easing, this is wonderful. He seems less grumpy.

Today Corey’s teacher commented on Corey’s concentration and focus improving, we have been doing the exercises for three weeks now. This is such a breakthrough.

Bevan is amazed at his kid brother’s more even temperament and ability to now actually sit and watch a DVD without running off. It’s such a fantastic sight that most would take for granted, but is precious to me, something I would have doubted would happen before discovering Marion’s help.
It dawned on me today, how Corey’s appetite has increased, also he will try different tastes and textures now and will even eat things he once spat out saying it felt yucky on his tongue.

His teacher is delighted that Corey now participates in classroom news, he answers questions, and volunteers to give morning talks – very exciting!

Today I walked into class and found Corey sitting beside his teacher, in the special helper’s chair, he looked so proud of himself and was enjoying his privileged role. When the teacher told him to choose the first four children to be able to go home on the bell, he chose three kids, then turned his finger pointing to himself – the teacher laughed and laughed. “Now all the children will want to follow his lead,” she said.

Corey couldn’t wait to go to school this morning, he now eagerly watches the clock to 8.30am. Looking forward to seeing his three little mates. Such a big achievement for a little boy that used to pace the floor in tears, wringing his hands – and try to hide away to avoid school. It’s great seeing him now joining in.

I realised today Corey never mentions his fizzy tummy anymore – and rain is no longer an issue – Corey is very happy with himself when it’s raining at school and he is able to tell me, “Mummy it rained today and I wasn’t even scared,” with a huge grin of satisfaction on his face. After trying homeopathy, bach flower remedies, herbal medicine, cranial massage, reading numerous books, this technique has given us the best outcome. Things I thought would seem too difficult are becoming more possible and a reality.

When arriving at Marion’s clinic today for a treatment, I cringed to find all the roadwork equipment. The huge trucks, once would have sent Corey into a panic with fear, instead he wanted to know what they were doing as we walked past into Marion’s clinic. I was very impressed – his hand clasped in mine didn’t even tighten (as it would have once) as we proceeded past the workers. Corey enjoyed rolling on the big rubber ball, and bouncing on it, showing more confidence this time. Marion worked on reversing Corey’s anxiety about parting from me and going to school without tears.

Three days have passed and Corey’s tears are lessening – Yeah! He still struggles with the length of day – but so do others, they are all adapting.

This weekend we drove to Oponini, and stayed in a cabin to catch up with a long overdue visit to family. We wouldn’t have considered this before Corey’s advancement. It was fabulous to get away and feel confident that things would go smoothly. And they did! Corey thrived and loved the beach setting, running everywhere with excitement, wanting to take it all in. He even patted the little goats that were roaming around. We discovered Corey is now a good traveller and he enjoyed his ride home again, asking lots of questions about the scenery.

Today when I went to pick Corey up from school, his classroom was empty. I heard children singing in the hall and recognised some others from his class. So I quietly stood at the back of the hall. Corey was sitting cross-legged and was watching the projector screen with fascination, this once would have spooked him. He was clapping his hands and attempting the new words of Christmas carols. He was so engrossed and looked so beautifully peaceful. I felt rather weepy with pure joy.

Corey no longer has the tantrums he once had, he is more contented, we still find bedtime tricky and he is difficult to settle some evenings. We have come forward a lot, in a short span of time. Thank you Marion.

Do you have students who never sit still? Are they constantly turning their heads, moving or wriggling? Do they delight in rocking on the back legs of their chairs? But then, when they’re working, they suddenly droop over their desks?

These children quite often have no appreciation of the space their bodies take up and will invade others’ without realising it. Think of the child who jostles other children when sitting on the mat or joining a line, because he just didn’t realise that he wouldn’t fit into that small space. They might even have been labelled as ADD or ADHD children.

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Article by Marion Miller

His mother was very pleased with the results and had favourable reports back from his kindergarten. She wrote the following observations:

“In only this short amount of time, my son has changed his attitude and more –

• Listening more
• Follows instructions more
• Eye and hand co-ordination has improved (including writing and holding a pen)
• Better attitude (more yes than no, not oppositional)
• Changed person at kindy – reports from the teacher “he’s fine and more settled”
• Concentration better
• Easier to reason with
• Co-operates more
• Gets on with children at kindy more – better relationships, friendlier, considering others
• Observes more
• Calmer!!!!
• Relaxed in himself…less tense with himself
• Plays better
• Movement with hands – more coordinated

Overall he is a much happier person, easier to live with for us – and for others around him.”

Practitioner: Marion Miller

He has blossomed both at home and school….NOTICEABLY!

He is managing more order and personal responsibility in his daily routine. He happily and regularly does his 5-minute exercise plan as he has made the connection with this and a successful day at school.

As a family we have also found it wonderfully manageable and all enjoy participating each morning.

The difference in our son feels like a blessing for us all but of most importance is the harmony and happiness that is evident within himself.

Many, many thanks.

Practitioner: Marion Miller

In the clinic we always take a person’s history first, before beginning a balance, to gain some understanding of our client’s life and circumstances. But because this was a workshop situation, and I was meeting Helen for the very first time, when she volunteered to do the teaching demonstration with me, I had virtually no knowledge of her situation or even where she lived.

During introductions this information had not been proffered. To demonstrate the power of the Tibetan Energy balance, and also to show before and after changes, I pre-tested 14 TFHK muscles. I also pre-tested an emotion, the chakras, the auric field etheric bodies, and the gaits (my absolute old favourites). These imbalances or “outs” were charted in bright colours on a whiteboard for the class to see. At this stage no corrections had been made.

The “Tibetan Energy” correction that was needed involved only the front of the trunk of the body. It came the time to post-check all of the previous pre-tests, ALL were now balanced. Helen and the class followed proceedings as all these results were marked off on our whiteboard.

Before Helen gave her comments re. the balance experience, I asked her if she would like me to explain or “read” those charted results. Yes! She and the class would be interested. As always, we can be very smart after the event, meaning that all the signs seem to come together, after the balance; threads are connected and it all begins to form a picture and make sense. This was the resolution of all of the TFHK muscles which had previously unlocked, only PMS or the Liver meridian had showed an imbalance on both left and right sides of the body. I suggested that Helen consider whether there was some anger involved in her life just now. Even so, the emotion tested, had been in 5-element, fire – joy/love. The chakras, 4 to 7 had been out of balance, suggesting that an imbalance lay in the spiritual aspect of Helen’s life, especially as initially it was the spiritual etheric body in the aura showing an imbalance.

I explained to Helen the effects of having the walking gaits unbalanced, even though she appeared to be a very confidant, balanced and athletically active person. We could surmise that the correction had involved the core muscles of the trunk. After my “reading” Helen corroborated the facts. It was a wonderful insight for us all.

The emotion of love and joy? Absolutely. Helen and her husband had just returned to live in the “Bay”, by the sea. This was their dream come true. The PMS Liver emotion? Rather than anger, Helen identified it as frustration. Her husband had recently retired, and seemingly at a loss to fill his days, was in the house full time. Though she loved him, she was feeling stifled and recognised her need for her solitude time to re-energise which was very important to her. Hence the imbalance which had shown in the spiritual aura and in the chakras. The gaits? Yes. Just that very morning during Helen’s early morning walk, she had realised that she felt “out of sync” though she hadn’t understood how that could be. Helen shared that with the understanding of the reading of her body’s responses, as explained and shown on our chart, this had given her the knowledge and the conviction of the importance of pursuing her own needs, without any feelings of guilt.

She resolved to discuss, plan and follow a pattern for both she and her husband – in the area of their new relationship. This is called listening to the body isn’t it!

Practitioner: Nola Wardlaw