Disclaimer for our picture book: Noah and the Baby Who WOn’t Stop Crying
Under no circumstances shall Maxine Haller and Associates or its subsidiaries or DBA’s, Maxine Haller OTR/L or Emily Eco/ Marina Pacheco be liable for any injury or damage, direct or indirect, special, incidental or consequential whatsoever (a) related to the use of, or reliance on, the information in this book, or (b) due to any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information regardless of how caused, or any decision made or action taken in reliance upon the information furnished in this book.
Please note that the information is of a general nature and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. It is not professional, scientific, medical, technical or expert advice. You should always consult a suitably qualified professional if you need specific advice regarding your situation.
DISCLAIMER explained and discussed further
Babies cry for many reasons. Sometimes the usual feed, burp, clean and comfort are not enough, and the cry is an indicator that something else is going on. This book is intended to show that there sometimes small, relatively simple, first steps that can allow little ones to ground themselves. They can feel their bodies and movement in a comforting way and not be afraid of the sensations that movement can produce. The result is often being able to move in patterns that are good, natural and produce brain connections and a stable body schema. This is part of the process of self- regulating.
In her book, The Out-of-Sync Child, (2005) Carol Stock Kranowitz describes sensory processing disorder as “the inability to use the information received through the senses in order to function smoothly in daily life” (pg 9). We have begun to notice that this difficulty starts at a very young age and can show up as crying a lot. Noah’s baby sister is feeling disorganized by all the sensations she is feeling. Dr Lucy Jane Miller describes sensory over- responsiveness in her book, Sensational Kids (2006). According to her, these children react to sensory input with more intensity, more quickly, and at times for more extended periods than their typical peers. We have found, through our history taking, that many of the kids with sensory challenges began with lots of crying. In working with babies, we have found that they respond well to Body Brain Mapping. It has an organizational effect on their nervous system. Please note that the information in this book is of a general nature and not intended to diagnose or label any individual. We are NOT saying that crying indicates sensory processing disorder. We are saying crying is a form of communication and that sometimes grounding is the part of the answer. It is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual either. The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material contained in this book are for general informational purposes only. They are not professional, scientific, medical, technical or expert advice. This book is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is intended to provide an alternative activity that has been known to help in some circumstances. If it does not help, please seek professional advice. You should always consult a suitably qualified professional if you need specific advice, or for any questions, you may have regarding you or your child’s health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this book.
The authors intend to provide a simple grounding and calming activity for little ones that is not widely known yet but has been found to be quite effective for many children and adults. Please use your discretion concerning your own child’s or children’s participation with this activity. If your child has a diagnosis that makes touching a specific part of the body ill-advised, DO NOT touch that part. Please observe precautions that are common sense, as well as those that are prescribed. If your child has a diagnosis for which they receive Occupational Therapy (OT), please take this book to your OT to see if s/he thinks it can, or needs to be adapted for your child.
We also advise adult supervision of siblings doing body mapping on siblings and other children. As with any kind of touch, there is always the risk of inappropriate bumps or brushes. We advise that if this happens accidentally, view and treat the incident as accidental and use it to learn about boundaries. If the touch is not accidental, then take whatever appropriate action is needed. We think that touch should not be forbidden out of fear. Touch is crucial for development and learning to touch respectfully is a huge contributor to good relationships. It is something that has been removed from so many interactions as a result of fear of inappropriate touch and the rash of sexual harassment incidents. This has not been good for human development. We see rises in anxiety and all sorts of isolation experiences with depression and suicide increasing as touch is decreased. Teaching appropriate connection is a HUGE deal. Families are the best place to do it. And YES appropriate touch boundaries need to be taught if inappropriate touch is to be eradicated. So be intentional about giving one of the most amazing gifts you could ever give – the gift of gentle, loving touch to babies and littles, so they grow up to be considerate and empathetic. Teach about asking and respecting permission to touch by doing so each time you do the brain-body mapping.
In regards to touching a babies head – DO NOT allow children to do this to any baby. Only adults who have enough awareness of their own strength should be allowed to handle a child with an open fontanelle, gentle means gentle – soft and loving but firm.
The idea is to communicate an end of the sensation going one way and the beginning of the sensation going the other. Please use discretion with this instruction as it is possible to push too hard and hurt the child. This instruction assumes that as a parent, you have a sense of what is good for your baby and how to not hurt him or her. We are in no way responsible or liable for the way in which anyone hurts someone else. BE CAREFUL how you touch others and allow your child to be touched.
At the end of the book is a way to know if it is possible that the crying could be from the incomplete molding of the cranium. If you should notice that there is any asymmetry, PLEASE consult a medical professional. Our goal is to help little ones get help earlier than they are currently. If this knowledge of checking could be handed down to the coming generations, we will ALL be better for it. NEVER try to correct the asymmetry without professional guidance. This book is NOT professional guidance on how to correct cranial asymmetry. If you see something that is not aligned – PLEASE seek professional advice.