Measuring Transformation: Outcomes Research & the IWBMC™ Approach
By Dr. Holly Haynes
Exciting news from Jacob’s Ladder! We’re thrilled to announce that the first preliminary analyses of our intervention outcomes data are now live and accessible on our website. After months of data entry and analysis, we’re not just excited—we’re ecstatic about the results!
But why embark on this data-driven journey? Simple: we need to understand what’s working at Jacob’s Ladder, and eventually, we’ll delve into why it’s working so well. More importantly, we’re committed to sharing with the world that the transformations we witness daily aren’t just anecdotal—they’re backed by tangible, measurable evidence. This commitment to transparency and accountability reinforces our dedication to you, our stakeholders, and the trust you place in us.
This kind of rigorous outcomes research is crucial in neurodevelopmental care, where progress can often seem subjective or hard to quantify. It’s this research that validates our approach and contributes to the broader scientific understanding of effective interventions for neurodiverse individuals. By sharing this information, we aim to empower you with a deeper understanding of our work and its impact.
So, what was our approach? We started by identifying the outcomes we aimed to improve through the IWBMC™. At Jacob’s Ladder, we aim to see our clients thrive in every possible way. This means:
- Behavioral improvements (e.g., reducing outbursts or disruptive behavior)
- Neurological advancements—enhancing brain communication and connectivity
- Cognitive growth and learning
- Emotional development for lasting impact on worldly interactions
- Nurturing our clients’ spirit and will
- Physiological health improvements in nutrition, sleep, and screen-time habits
Each area represents a critical facet of our client’s overall well-being. Focusing on such a comprehensive range of outcomes ensures that our approach addresses the whole person, not just isolated symptoms or behaviors.
Our process involved reviewing data from initial evaluations and re-evaluations and then analyzing intervention data to detect changes in these outcome areas. We focused on driving questions for each location, ensuring our analysis was targeted and meaningful. This methodology allows us to track progress over time and adjust our interventions as needed for optimal results. Working with an established dataset, we prioritized completeness. This sometimes meant excluding participants who were still required to complete all tasks. While this might seem counterintuitive, it’s a crucial step in ensuring the integrity and reliability of our results. Despite this rigorous approach, we achieved robust sample sizes of 40 to 56 clients over two years. In specialized care, these numbers lend weight to our findings.
We have carefully analyzed different client bases, categorizing them into ASD (autism spectrum disorder), EBR (Emotional or Behavioral Disorders), and GDD (Developmental Delay or Genetic Disorders) groups. This categorization is crucial as it allows us to understand how our interventions impact different populations, potentially leading to more tailored approaches in the future. The results are positive! Internally, we are seeing positive changes across the board. This may seem obvious for those of you who are providers or loved ones of our clients as you witness these positive changes firsthand. However, we know that progress can be inconsistent. We are thrilled to report that when we compiled the data, we found positive change in every area for the average client—from spirit and will to cognitive to physiological domains.
What does this mean? For the measures and outcomes we selected, we can confidently say there has been a significant positive change for the average client. This is a powerful endorsement of our interventions’ effectiveness. The IWBMC™ approach is not just theoretically sound but practically impactful in the lives of our clients.
But we’re not stopping here. In the world of research, replication and generalization are key. Our next crucial step is to demonstrate that this model can work anywhere globally. We plan to update our study, compare our results to other models, and test its efficacy in different locations. This global perspective is essential as we strive to make the IWBMC™ approach accessible and practical for neurodiverse individuals worldwide.
Our ultimate goal is to justify our entire model of care statistically. This means showing that it works and understanding why it works, for whom it works best, and under what conditions it’s most effective. This level of understanding will allow us to refine our approach continually, ensuring that we’re always providing the best possible care based on the latest evidence.
This is just the beginning of our data-driven journey, and we’re excited to have you along as we refine and scientifically validate the IWBMC™ approach. By combining rigorous research with compassionate care, we’re paving the way for a new era in neurodevelopmental support. Together, we’re not just changing lives—we’re quantifying that change and using it to drive even more remarkable transformations in the future. Here’s to the power of data in illuminating the path to better care for neurodiverse individuals everywhere!
We invite you to explore our outcomes data on the website. We’d love to hear from you if you have any questions or insights. Your feedback and questions are invaluable as we refine our research and approach.
Stay tuned for more updates as we analyze our data and expand our research. The journey to understanding and supporting neurodiversity is ongoing, and with your support and interest, we’re making strides every day towards a more inclusive, understanding, and effective approach to care.
View our Outcomes and White Papers here: Case Studies & White Papers
