Summer Intensive • Reflections

July seems like a long time ago! School has begun, and summer has faded into the distant past.

After spending many hours with about a dozen children in June and July, I'm now wondering how they are faring in school. But first it's worth noting the initial accomplishments they made from the work they did this summer.

They were many and amazing!

Mostly we moved: some exercises were for reflex intervention, bouncing balls and passing or tossing sandbags helped eye tracking, timing, and coordination, the Interactive Metronome helped build timing and coordination through very precise moves, and listening and playing was an enjoyable way to calm the nervous system or help it reorganize through the auditory system.

It was fun work some days and challenging other days. It was always tiring, and sometimes resulted in crabbiness. Most children slept more, some ate more, three of them learned to ride bicycles, and a couple even became more responsible about household chores. All of them learned to cross the midline, which helps the brain work more efficiently and so speeds up thinking. Balance improved for everyone! One child showed significant development of inner speech (the ability to talk to yourself, give yourself directions, and solve problems).

As my first Summer Intensive, it was a wonderful learning experience for me. I learned that the intensity extends to the whole family. I also learned that I needed more sleep as I worked daily with children who have growing nervous systems—and attention limitations that changed as the summer progressed.

The work continues as nervous systems continue to grow and work at the new level of coordination, but it's also possible to continue lessons with at-home work.

• Every child got a list of exercises to continue so that the nervous system gets coordination boosts. Families may check in with me once a month to see how things are going and maybe update the set of exercises.

• Some families have rented or purchased equipment for listening or timing so they can do weekly activities at home. This keeps the coordination growing, though a bit slower than in the summer, since school and activities need to be the main focus of life.

• A few families are continuing to schedule weekly lessons for ongoing work during the school year.

I am eagerly looking forward to next summer when I may see some of the same kiddos but hope to reach many more! Look for details early in 2026!

Best wishes for a wonderful school year filled with successful learning!