Winter Edition 2017

PROMOTION
Stop
THE NOISE
Does your child work hard at school without success?
Psychologist Sarah Warley of The Key Clinic explains why
this might be and how you can unlock their potential
Alex always tried his hardest
to sit still in class and listen,
but could not help getting
distracted. He would try to
focus his eyes when reading,
but the words would jump, or
he’d miss a line. Alex’s parents
could feel his frustration and
sadness. The worst part was
that he was beginning to think
he must be stupid.
“Alex is smart, he tries so hard
and he is at a great school, so I just don’t get it,”
— his mother, Charlotte
First, Alex had a hearing test. Previous tests had
only looked for hearing loss. This more detailed
test showed Alex had hypersensitive hearing,
making it virtually impossible for him to block out
background noises. Nor could he hear every word
clearly, and some words were being heard back
Sarah, clinical director at The Key Clinic explained:
“A CHILD MAY BE PERFECTLY SMART
BUT UNABLE TO ACCESS THAT
INTELLIGENCE, AS SOMETHING IS
LITERALLY BLOCKING THE WAY. IT’S
OUR JOB TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE
BLOCKAGES ARE AND REMOVE THEM.”
to front. No wonder he was
distracted!
Alex carried out a 10-day
course of Bérard Auditory
Integration Training (AIT) at
The Key Clinic, listening to
modulated music through
headphones. A final hearing
test showed his hearing
had normalised and the
hypersensitivity was gone.
Further physical tests
revealed Alex also still had
some ‘primitive’ reflexes locked in place. These
normally inhibit by a child’s first birthday, but
sometimes they persist, making many tasks
extremely difficult. This is why Alex’s eyes struggled
to read without skipping over words, why he would
fidget, why catching a ball or getting dressed was a
challenge and why his handwriting was so messy.
Daily neurodevelopmental movements were
carried out with Alex over a few months to get rid
of the blockages that were tripping him up, giving
his nervous system a second chance to develop.
His mother was thrilled with the results: “On
returning to school, Alex gained an average 20 per
cent increase in his exam results across the board –
we could not believe it!” Perhaps most importantly,
Alex now has self-belief.
Alex — “I never really knew how it felt to be able to
concentrate before now.”
For an assessment, call 01635 761565, email admin@thekeyclinic.co.uk
or visit www.thekeyclinic.co.uk and fill in the screening questionnaire
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