About the IWBMC™ Evaluation

Designed to understand the whole person.

Complete a comprehensive IWBMC™ Evaluation remotely or at our campus in Roswell, Georgia, to gain insight and a plan forward for individuals with neurobiological challenges.

The IWBMC™ Evaluation includes:

Collection of the client’s educational, medical, and therapeutic historical information through our AHAVA parent portal
An in-depth family interview to collect information about the family’s specific goals, daily experiences, and greatest concerns
Client evaluation of over 1,321 neurodevelopmental metrics, covering all aspects of the IWBMC™
Standardized academic testing
Non-invasive qEEG collection
Nutritional Consult and an individualized nutrition plan to address physiological health
Evaluation Overview to review the findings from the evaluation, including a complete Client Findings Report, qEEG results, in-home support strategies, an individualized program, and further therapeutic recommendations

What does the client evaluation look like?

The evaluation is completed in a supportive environment, encouraging clients to remain comfortable and engaged.

The evaluation consists of clinical observation and direct testing. Throughout the process, the client will participate in various tasks, including movement-based metrics, tabletop activities, and tasks on a computer. The initial evaluation’s structure is modified to meet the needs of the individual, increasing their participation and overall success. Further, the family interview corroborates the evaluation findings, as some clients experience challenges in providing their highest output level while working in a new setting.

How We Use the IWBMC™ to Create Client Programs

The evaluation findings are the basis for each individualized care program, designed to help individuals develop the neural pathways needed to regulate communication and connectivity patterns within the brain.

The IWBMC™ evaluation is completed within our AHAVA platform and determines clients’ primary focus areas. As each component of the IWBMC™ is evaluated, a specific and strategic plan is created to move the client toward their unique goals. This individualized plan includes over 100 activities and strategies to target areas of challenge and build upon areas of strength. Whether clients enroll on our campus or engage in remote services, we create a customized plan to meet their needs.

Jacob’s Ladder works closely with the client’s family and current school or therapists to provide resources and strategies to increase global success. We partner with these professionals within their existing structures to aid clients’ progress toward individualized goals. Jacob’s Ladder can also train professionals on the client’s specific needs and our Model of Care through the Ascend Training Institute.

What Families Are Saying about the IWBMC™ Evaluation

Our family is in the process of having our 22-year-old begin receiving services at Jacob’s Ladder. Through the thorough interview and evaluation process, we’ve concluded that everyone on the staff believes in the same techniques we concluded many years ago to be the best approach for people on the autism spectrum. Start with love and trust and build upon that, holding the student lovingly accountable. Jacob’s Ladder looks at the whole individual, every single aspect of their lives. Our family feels heard and seen, and we look forward to a long relationship with Jacob’s Ladder.

Tina W.

The IWMBC™ Evaluation Process

Step 1:

Complete a Parent Interview, Client Testing Session, qEEG, and Nutritional Consult

Step 2:

Participate in an Evaluation Overview to review the comprehensive Client Findings Report and Treatment Plan

Step 3:

Get trained to implement the client’s individualized program

Step 4:

Enroll in Wraparound support for the family and current educational or vocational placement

Step 5:

Enroll in remote or on-campus programming through our numerous support options

Benefits of the IWBMC™ Evaluation

Through the evaluation process, families gain a deep understanding of the IWBMC™, learning more about how their child is neurologically wired and can get trained to implement the model at home.
Families learn how to better advocate for their child’s unique needs.
Families learn the core strategies and activities to implement at home, promoting improvement with primary goals.
Evaluation results promote a holistic and integrated approach, as Jacob’s Ladder encourages communication with the client’s current care team, including teachers, therapists, physicians, and family members.
Based on the evaluation, Jacob’s Ladder can train teachers and professionals at the child’s school on basic strategies to use within the classroom, supporting the child and classroom as a whole.
Families are eligible to enroll for on-campus or remote services.

What is the qEEG and how is it used?

The qEEG (Quantitative Electroencephalogram), based on traditional EEG technology, measures the brain’s electrical activity; however, it goes a step further and converts the electrical activity to a visual representation. The visual representation indicates areas of the brain with too much or too little electrical activity by comparing the data to a norm-referenced database, considering age, gender, and handedness. The qEEG provides specific measures of power, communication, balance, and firing speed within the Brodmann areas (specifically designated brain regions) in the brain wave frequencies of Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and High Beta.

The qEEG corroborates the outcomes derived from the IWBMC™ Evaluation metrics by matching the brain’s internal state with the external level of functioning. When any electrical activity is excessive or deficient, it can significantly impact an individual’s overall ability to function within the environment (Bradley et al., 2022).

The unique integration of the qEEG to areas of development attests to the holistic nature of the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care®. Rather than having separate, isolated viewpoints on the outcomes of functional or metric-based assessments versus diagnostic tools used in clinical settings, the IWBMC™ combines these two complex processes, resulting in a dynamic and comprehensive evaluation of neurological development. Comparative qEEGs are also part of the ongoing re-evaluation process, as shifts in brain frequencies, electrical activity, and connection patterns can substantiate functional changes resulting from therapeutic programming.

Jacob’s Ladder uses the NeuroGuide™ and NeuroNavigator™ platforms, developed by Applied Neuroscience, Inc., for qEEG collection and Neurofeedback services. Additionally, the one-of-a-kind AHAVA platform generates our proprietary Top 10 and Bottom 10 Connectivity tables, providing further insight into the client’s brain region communication while considering the brain’s deeper structures.

Bradley, C., Nydam, A. S., Dux, P. E., & Mattingley, J. B. (2022). State-dependent effects of neural stimulation on brain function and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 23(8), 459-475.

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