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Patrick - 16
year old althlete
Before getting
help from Dr. Markus, I struggled in a lot of areas
in school. I got bad grades, I couldn’t focus
and I just hated being at school. After spending
time over the spring and summer working with
her, everyone could see a change in the way I thought
and the way I did things. She helped me think about
my thinking and I became more confident about my problem
solving abilities.
Coming back to school this past
fall was a different feeling. I felt ready for
this school year. Before working with Dr. Markus,
I would give up on difficult school work but now I’m
able to be more persistent. After the first
semester I’m doing better than I have ever have done
in school and a lot of that is due to the work I’ve
done with Dr. Markus. I’m glad I got the chance
to work with her. Not only does she care about
me as a learner but she cares about me as a person.
She
has made a big difference is my life – I actually don’t
mind school now and believe I can be successful in
college. Thank you Dr. Markus for helping
me. |
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Alexsa - Student
Aleksa started the Learning
How to Learn Program two months ago. Since she
began the program, we have noticed that Aleksa has
developed an awareness of order in the universe. She
has demonstrated an increased awareness of time, direction
in space and how things are organized in
relation to hierarchy. Almost overnight, she has become interested
in which direction she is traveling, how long
a trip will take, and if we estimated correctly. She
is more aware of her environment and notices when something
needs to be done, without being asked.
Aleksa reports
that she noticed that homework is easier now. In fact
she approaches homework with a much better attitude,
and perseveres through longer assignments without getting
frustrated. Consequently, her self confidence has improved.
We are thrilled with Aleksa's progress in such a short
amount of time. |
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Richard - 26 year
old entrepreneur, dealplacer.com
I took Designs for Strong Minds™ to give me the edge that
I so desperately needed. After completing the class and
doing homework on my own, the mental skills and fluid-thinking
patterns that I have acquired, have made me a success
both in my personal life and my business life.
Before I took the class, I was consumed with mental stress,
inhibiting me from unlocking my true potential. I knew
that there must be a key to help me unlock my true potential
and I found that in Designs for Strong Minds™.
Learning alternative ways of perception has re-designed
my thinking patterns, alleviated stress, and made "the
big picture" much more clear.
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Maria L. - Parent
My daughter has seen Dr.
Markus for a little over a year now. Most of her visits
have been private sessions, but she has recently improved
enough to join the group sessions. Since starting
with Dr. Markus in November of 2006, my daughter is more
focused (partially due to a medication recommended by
Dr. Markus), more socially appropriate and more independent
(at home and at school). Her conversations are more appropriate
and consist of longer exchanges. She is more on task
than before. I have actually been able to ask her to
do two and three-step tasks and have her complete them
(we are still working on this as her success is
still inconsistent). Tasks that were extremely difficult
for her to complete (only done with much verbal and visual
prompting and help) she can achieve now with relative
ease.
Another benefit of being a patient of Dr. Markus is that she has a great network
of other professionals to whom she has referred our daughter. She has been helped
immensely by the other professionals we have taken her to see.
Yet another positive aspect of Dr. Markus' treatment is the positive feedback
we have gotten from friends and family as to our daughter's behavior. It is so
rewarding to hear others remark positively about our child! |
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Moira
M. - Student
In October 2006, I was interviewing
a new client of the publicist who employed me as a
writer of press materials, when I suddenly experienced
what felt like a sledgehammer blow to the back of my
head. I lost consciousness, and upon awakening – on
the floor – found I was hallucinating. Day-glo colors
of pink, green and yellow were swirling all over the
faces of the people clustered around me trying to help.
I knew something was direly wrong with me, and I was
right: a giant brain aneurysm (that I didn’t know I
had) had ruptured, causing a cerebral hemorrhage and
the first of three hemorrhagic micro-strokes.
I remember the paramedics arriving and lifting me onto
a stretcher – and my next coherent memory was fully three
weeks later. I was in Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s
neuro intensive care unit, and just beginning to discover
– to my horror -- the extent of the brain damage.
While my verbal skills seemed intact, I found I could
no longer read an analog clock (the kind with hands.)
I couldn’t identify black-and-white line drawings of
familiar objects: a hammer, a bed, a horse. I had trouble
sequencing. I couldn’t do simple math problems like long
division – even subtraction, as long as it involved borrowing.
My head felt like a Cuisinart, with disjointed thoughts
whirling around so fast I couldn’t get a fix on them.
As for multitasking, I figured those days were gone forever.
In addition to the publicity job, I’d been a longtime
freelance journalist, and my main outlet was at that
time (and still is) the Chicago Tribune, Once the full
import of my brain injury registered with me, I was terrified
I wouldn’t be able to write an article again. I had all
the words, but did not know if I could sequence them,
or link them with the ideas that would make them into
a feature article.
Leaving intensive care a week or so later, I entered
in-patient rehabilitation. After two weeks, I could identify
line drawings once again, and seemed to have improved
in other cognitive areas as well. But I was far from
being recovered – and it was at that point I began to
see Dr. Donalee Markus.
With Donalee, my high-level recovery began. After a few
weeks, I was able to hold more than one idea in my head
simultaneously. I began to regain my ability to multitask.
And two months after the ruptured aneurysm had felled
me, I had my first post-trauma article published in the
Tribune. As part of the writing process I used an invaluable
organizational tool I’d learned from Donalee: mind mapping.
I’ve continued to use mind mapping with each subsequent
Tribune article I’ve written – a general process that
has gotten less and less difficult, thanks to Donalee.
One very important skill that Donalee’s neurocognitive
therapy restored was my ability to navigate. My visuospatial
center had been hard-hit by one or more of the strokes
– and I’d found, to my considerable distress, that I
could no longer visualize the street grid of Chicago
in my head, in order to get from one place (or set of
coordinates) to another. I couldn’t picture north, south,
east, and west in relation to where I was at a given
time, which made getting around the city where I live
much more challenging than it had ever been – if not,
in fact, utterly daunting.
But the visual puzzles Donalee had me do – ramping up
their complexity bit by bit – brought back my ability
to see the grid in my mind. Once again I could stay oriented,
figure out where I was going, know which major Chicago
street would be coming up next in the direction I was
walking.
I even began trekking to New York City in the fall of
’07 to visit my daughter (a freshman in college there),
and my work with Donalee had so improved my visuospatial
skills that I was able to navigate around Manhattan and
even Brooklyn with few mistakes.
I loved doing those puzzles – especially the wonderful
dots that are Donalee’s trademark. I swear I could feel
the damaged connections in my brain knitting back together,
or rerouting themselves. I found the puzzles simultaneously
relaxing and stimulating, and I looked forward to doing
them daily the same way you might anticipate getting
a massage. Donalee’s visual puzzles – as well as Sudoku,
which she taught me and which I still do almost daily
-- also helped me with my scanning, which had been severely
impacted.
Another issue that had given me much grief, even half
a year after the rupture – was that I had focusing problems.
I would forget to retrieve my ATM card from cash machines;
I’d forget to close the lid of the coffee maker when
setting up my husband’s morning coffee the night before.
After working several months with Donalee, my attention
to those details (and others) noticeably improved. I
continued to feel more and more like myself as time went
on, thanks to Donalee Markus and her remarkable, cutting-edge
neurocognitive therapy. I am so fortunate to have been
able to work with her: it’s no exaggeration to say she
gave me my life back. |
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Ari - Student
The program
that Dr. Markus has established for her students
is one that holds tremendous value to all those who
she helps. I first started doing her exercises
when I was in third grade, and it is from years of
working with her that I can say I am one of her many
success stories. My severe learning disabilities began
to affect me more and more in my studies as I advanced
in school.
It was with the help of Dr. Markus
that I am where I am today in school. Not only did
her exercises help to change the way my brain works
, but also Dr. Markus worked with me to establish tools
that I would be able to use in and out of the classroom
to help m compensate for my disability. I am now a
successful senior at Chicagoland Jewish High School
because of Dr. Markus' dedication. Without her
I would not be able to overcome the obstacles that
my learning disability placed before me. Her
warm heart and dedication is shown not only with me
but with all of her students. Thank you Dr. Markus!!!
Ari Glasser, Age 17, Student (Chicagoland Jewish High
School) |
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Martina - Parent
I have 12 year old triplets that are currently in Donalee's class and working with
her material at home daily. I can say at this point, Donalee is nothing less than a
blessing to my children and their future.
Watching them is like seeing desert
flowers blossom. It is a joy to experience. I have the
utmost confidence in Donalee Marcus and the program she
has created.
Most Sincerely, Martina Mathisen
mother of:
Bjorn,
Janeen and
Eric Mathisen |
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Rachel - Student
The first
time my family met Dr. Donalee Markus we were struggling
emotionally with our daughter Rachel. We were
at our wits end and Doctors told us she needed to be
medicated. At age 4 ½ we knew that was the wrong
path for her. After the first evaluation Donalee turned
to us and said, “She’s great, I can help and she will
calm down”. My husband just sat there stunned and I
cried. This was the first person who said they could
help, this was the first time someone could see her
potential. You see through all the difficult times,
we didn’t realize Rachel was very bright
– Donalee Markus did.
Rachel from the beginning tested Donalee and the
environment. The
first several sessions she sat under the table and wouldn’t
come out. Donalee respected Rachel and slowly
engaged her to participate. With love, patience
and coaching Rachel began to work on the puzzles Donalee
created. At first she resisted them and eventually
couldn’t get enough. It was the first time, for
Rachel, that someone understood how her brain worked
and how it needed to perform better.
Right in front of our eyes, we watched Rachel begin to
socialize, calm down, build her self-esteem/confidence
and want to participate in the world around her. She
truly blossomed into a unique and beautiful girl, the
child we knew she was. Today Rachel is coaching
other students, attends a private gifted school and is
truly happy. Her experience was so successful that
her brother and mother (me) joined the program. I
guess at the end of the day, we could all use a little
retraining of the brain. Thank you Donalee and
staff for your dedication to the needs of children greater
than any pill could give. We are truly blessed. |
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Gail G - Parent
My older daughter, Mara,
who has the visual processing disorder that some call
dyslexia, had no idea how intelligent she was until she
started working with Donalee: as early as fifth grade,
she was staying up till midnight every night, just trying
to keep up with her homework. But when Mara started going
to Donalee when she was almost 16 years old, it was like
her brain just started switching on. Mara's math, science
and music improved to the point that she made the honor
roll, and now Mara's a junior in college going for dual
degrees in education and in psychology, with a minor
in history. Donalee is truly a godsend – everyone should
take her classes. |
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Patsy T. - Parent
Our 11 year old son Michael
is very intelligent, but because of his ADHD-related
learning disabilities he didn't think he was smart, and
consequently lacked confidence. He started seeing Donalee
Markus four years ago, and the improvement in his spelling
and writing has been dramatic. He loves working with
Donalee – and so does our other son, who goes with Michael
and does Donalee's neurocognitive exercises along with
him voluntarily – simply because he enjoys them. She
is truly amazing. |
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Maureen D. - NASA
My personal experience with
Dr. Markus' work is that it lays a foundation for enabling
personal mastery and enhances one's ability to understand
his/her own thinking process. I introduced her exercises
to NASA and our NASA employees felt that these exercises
allowed them to see, understand and move beyond their
own limits to thinking and awareness. Specifically, Dr.
Markus' exercises open an individual's ability to explore
and learn in a non-threatening and creative way. |
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Jeff U. - Ameritech
I have to be honest, when
you gave your proposal although I love the exercises,
I was highly skeptical of DSM being able to change my
thinking and problem solving ability. I remember thinking, "How
are a few exercises going to change my thinking or help
me develop critical thinking skills?" Then after
I went to the classes and continued to do the exercises
I realized that I looked at problems differently and
approached resolving them with a different attitude. |
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Kathy A. - Parent
A catastrophic car accident
at age 16 left my daughter Krysty with a traumatic frontal-lobe
brain injury and a broken neck. Her physical wounds healed,
but her brain did not – until we took her to Donalee
Markus. Krysty arrived at Donalee's office with her higher
functions, including executive function and critical
thinking, gone – along with 20 points from her IQ. She
was almost emotionless and operating at an 11 year old's
social level.
After working with Donalee, Krysty regained
her higher brain functions, emotions and IQ, got back
on the honor roll, and is now on the honor roll in college
and an officer in her sorority. I simply cannot thank
Donalee enough for what she's done. |
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Don K. - Traumatic Brain
Injury
I was on the job for SBC
one Saturday morning four years ago, parked in my truck,
when I was hit head-on by a reckless driver. I recovered
quickly from a concussion, but was subsequently plagued
with post-concussion syndrome: I was hypersensitive to
noise, my field of vision was broken down to pixels rather
than a whole integrated picture – in fact, all my systems
were hyperactive.
Doctors wrongly told me I'd be good
as new in a year; what did make all the difference was
working with Donalee, who said, “Life's going to be different
from now on, so let's make good use of it.” It took me
less than four years to retrain my brain with Donalee
Markus, and I'm back with SBC, splicing cable – thanks
to Donalee, I'm able to lead a normal life. |
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Traumatic Brain Injury
Rehabilitation
Responses to the workshops
ranged from participants who could document personal
behavior change to others who perceived change in their
thinking styles. Participants related improvements
in their communication and decision making skills,
particularly with managers, and an increased appreciation
for others cognitive processing methods. Your approach
is extremely valuable to a large number of audiences.
DSM
puzzles and the DSM mediation technique are vital tools
in helping adolescents and adults with mild or moderate
post-traumatic head injuries. DSM treatment focuses on
the difference between how a patient dealt with the world
cognitively prior to injury and how they deal with it
post-injury, helping them bridge the gap and working
with them to repair and rewire their cognitive processes
so that they can again function at what they consider
to be an acceptable level. |
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