REACH is a world leader in bringing hope and help to parents and professionals who believe that all children deserve a chance to reach their potential. REACH 's pioneering work and many years of international experience make it the organization of choice for families who are looking for a home-school program for their child with developmental problems.
REACH - Mission
The REACH Family Institute is an international organization whose mission is
to ensure proper functional development in all children, particularly those
children with developmental difficulties.
REACH accomplishes this mission by empowering parents with the information
that they need to significantly improve the functional abilities of their children.
REACH Programs
REACH Philosophy -
Five principles lie at the center of the REACH philosophy and influence everything
in our approach.
REACH Family Institute Programs for Parents
Introduction to Solutions for Parents
Any child or young adult who is functioning below age level is eligible for the Home Program regardless of when the problem first appeared or the degree of the problem. Children and young adults come previously diagnosed with Brain Injury, Learning Disability, Developmental Delay, Reading Disability, Dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Epilepsy, Hyperactivity, ADHD, ADD, Autism and PDD, Down's Syndrome or other congenital syndromes, etc. Many children have no diagnosis.
Home Programs — USA
The REACH Family Institute sees families
from throughout the United States and the world at its headquarters in the beautiful
Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon. Located midway between San Francisco and Portland,
the Rogue Valley’s many cultural and natural attractions enable families to
have a "working vacation" when they come to REACH for their consultations.
This atmosphere provides parents with an ideal learning environment as they
work together to help their child reach his or her potential.
Children on the Home Program in the United States are eligible for one of two program plans (Level 1 or Level 2) depending on their level of function.
Home Program — International
For the past 22 years families in France have also benefited from the vast experience
of the REACH team during our biannual visits to Europe. Contact REACH in writing, by telephone,
or by email to request an appointment.
Founders
The founders of the REACH Family Institute are the husband and wife team
of Charles R. Solis Jr. and Conceição de Sousa Solis.
Involved in innovative work with children, young adults and adults since 1975, Charles and Conceição have studied under and worked with some of the world's leading innovators and pioneers in the fields of Brain Development, Early Child Development, and Accelerated Learning. Their dedication to children and the family has earned them accolades from many leaders of the international community working to promote family and children’s issues.
Charles R. Solis, Jr. has a B.S. degree in Biology/Pre-Medicine from Loyola College in Baltimore, post-graduate Developmentalist and Teaching certificates in Human Development from the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, and a post-graduate certificate in Neurosensory Development from the Downing Institute in San Francisco.
In 1978, at the age of only 24, Charles successfully led a team of six brain-injured young adults on a2,050-mile through-hike of the Appalachian Trail, the longest continuously marked footpath in the world. This was the first and remains the only time in history that a group of young people with neurological problems attempted and completed a feat of this kind.
Charles lectures to professionals and parents throughout the worldon children and brain development, as well as health and education issues. Charles is a frequent speaker at international conferences including two speaking engagements at Vatican conferences and at the World Congress of Families II in Geneva.
Conceição de Sousa Solis, a native of Rio de Janeiro, studied Speech Therapy at the Instituto Brasileiro de Medicina e Reabilitação in Rio de Janeiro. She has a Developmentalist certificate in Human Development from the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia and a certificate in Neurosensory Development from the Downing Institute in San Francisco. Conceição is also certified in Surgical Instrumentation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
History
Charles R. Solis, Jr. and Conceição de Sousa Solis began their work together
in the mid-1970’s. For many years they traveled throughout the world providing
private consultation services for families with brain-injured children. In the
course of their careers they have either studied or worked with children and
families in the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, England,
Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Japan, Papua New Guinea,
and Australia.
In 1988, with the help of Ambassador Alberto Vollmer and his wife Sra. Christine Vollmer, they initiated a pilot project in Caracas, Venezuela in an effort to bring their expertise to extremely poor families with brain-injured children. Starting with just three families, by 1992 there was a 10-year waiting list for appointments. Faced with this dilemma, Charles created a professional training program in Holistic Brain Development. This course, recognized by and taught under the auspices of the Universidad Nacional de Rehabilitacion, quickly became the most popular post-graduate course amongst professionals working in rehabilitation. By training doctors, therapists and teachers, the Solis’s brought desperately needed help to thousands of children and families. Eventually, Charles trained 205 professionals who work in centers throughout the country of Venezuela. In honor of Alberto and Christine Vollmer’s son Leopoldo, a severely brain-injured child who provided much of the inspiration for this effort, the project was named Programa Leopoldo.
In June of 1997 Cardinal Alphonse Lopez Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, invited Charles and Conceição to speak at an international conference in Vatican City. Programa Leopoldo turned out to be the highlight of the event. In his speech to the conference, His Holiness Pope John Paul II recognized the importance of Programa Leopoldo calling it an extension of the Gospel of Life. He urged the participants to continue in their efforts to bring hope to the world’s families. The conference organizers gave Charles the honor of helping to draft the conference recommendations that constitute Vatican policy regarding brain-injured children and their families.
Upon the conclusion of the conference, inspired by the Holy Father’s recognition of their work, Charles and Conceição returned to the United States and created a new organization for the purpose of expanding their work. The REACH Family Institute was founded in May of 1998 in order to reach families and professionals throughout the world with the Solis’s message of hope and possibility.
Introduction to the REACH Method
For mothers and fathers, the sense that they have some measure of control over
their child's well being is of utmost importance. Whether this involves a child
faced with an illness, a difficulty in school or a problem in behavior, parents
naturally want to be part of the solution to the problem.
Unfortunately, parents who have a child with developmental difficulties often find that they are considered to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution. The sense of hopelessness and incompetence that they experience can be devastating.
We at REACH consider parents to be THE crucial factor in achieving success.
Therefore, by design, the REACH Method of Holistic Brain Development
includes parents in the process of improving their child’s development.
We do this for a variety of reasons.
Holistic Brain Development -
Charles and Conceição Solis developed Holistic Brain Development, the approach
used by the REACH Family Institute, through their work with children
throughout the world during the past 27 years. The method is based on the premise
that optimum brain function and development is a prerequisite to successful
function in life. And it rests on the extraordinary capacity of the human brain
to adapt itself in accord with its experience, a phenomenon called brain plasticity.
Brain plasticity is the ability of the brain to modify its structure and chemistry
in response to stimulationfrom the environment, the use of motor ability and
the presence of adequate nutrition. Although doubted for many
decades, scientists now have solid scientific proof that the human brain goes
through measurable structural and biochemical changes particularly in the first
years of life.
The importance of this biological reality for the brain-injured
child is incalculable because it means that functional ability can be created.
Many years of experience taught Charles and Conceição that there are three
areas of paramount importance in the development of optimum brain function:
enhanced sensory/motor function, structural integrity, and optimum physiology.
Enhanced Sensory/Motor Function
Structural Integrity
Optimum Physiology
Each of these areas taken individually has a positive effect on brain function and development. When all of these areas are addressed simultaneously in a cohesive program, the effect on brain function and development can be dramatic. In our efforts to help children we develop function at all levels of the brain from the primitive medulla up to the sophisticated cerebral cortex. At the level of the cerebral cortex we are developing function in both cerebral hemispheres. The goal of the REACH Method of Holistic Brain Development is the achievement of each child's highest potential through the development of the whole brain.
Testimonials
"We would liketo say THANK YOU for everything. It is a blessing that we found you and it is thanks to you, your advice and your method that Guilhem is where he is today. This would have never been possible without your program. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You permit children to progress and you illuminate the path and the lives of the parents by giving them the possibility of helping their children when they are lost, powerless, and overwhelmed. "
-Maité and Thierry Aubrun, France
"I can never adequately express to you how much your program has meant to us. Michael could not achieve all these milestones without the home program we got from you. He is truly breaking the mold and making people think outside the box. Thank you for your wisdom and the compassion you show to our special children. You have influenced Michael’s future more than you will ever know."
-Pam Haan, Michigan, USA
"Trevor is a beautiful, active, 7 year old who was driving us bananas with his constant activity, inquisitive nature, never ending energy, and lack of focus. We were at a loss as to how to handle all of his energy and get him to settle down a bit and focus in on his studies. We heard about REACH through a friend of ours and decided to give Charlie and Conceição a call. That call changed all of our lives dramatically. We feel fortunate to have found Charlie and Conceição, they have been an invaluable resource for our son, and will soon be working with our newly adopted son, Bradley."
-Karen Wood, Oregon, USA
"Our family has been fortunate to be involved with the REACH Family Institute. Our son, Alma, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, first visited REACH when he was 11 months old. Now he is 17 months old and the progress he has made developmentally is exceptional. The program designed specifically for his needs has given us concrete guidance to accelerate his development.
With the application of the program, we have watched Alma become more mobile, more curious, more aware, and even more charming than he already was. Although applying the program has required a high level of time and energy each day, it has been very rewarding for our entire family to see Alma change so remarkably."
-Nancy and Jim Erekson, Colorado, US
"We thank you from the very bottom of our hearts for showing us that hope is permitted, that life can be beautiful, and above all that love is the most precious truth there is!"
-Jocelyne and Claude Martin, France
"Our daughter has been on the program for over two years now and continues to progress rapidly in all areas. In many areas she is at "normal" development for her age, and in a couple she is above normal. Total strangers are amazed at her vocabulary and articulation. She can run, jump, dance, skate, and ride a bike. Her hearing is perfect. A friend of mine just remarked to me the other day "Remember when she used to be so upset by loud noises?" Yes, I remember, and I am profoundly grateful that we found REACH and that they were able to teach us how to help our daughter. I wholeheartedly and without reservation recommend REACH to anyone whose son or daughter has profound problems and to anyone who, like me, has a little voice of intuition whispering "find a way to help your child." We are so thankful that we did."
-Lisa and Alan C., California, USA
"I have never had so much trouble in writing a letter as I have now because I really don’t know which words to use to express my feelings. How to tell you of our gratefulness towards you and to let you know the optimism and hope prevailing in our family due to the progress reached by Mercedes in so short a period. It is really incredible that after twelve years of living in a state of almost total passiveness and weak health due to continuous illnesses, Mercedes has now reached the ability to execute functions and actions that were practically impossible before. …..As I said at the beginning of this letter it is difficult for me to express my gratitude, and it is my wish that this news about Mercedes serve as a stimulus for you and your group to continue ahead."
-Gladys Zamora, Venezuela
Where to get more information about the REACH Family Institute
To receive more information about REACH’s Home Programs Info@reachinstitute.org
To schedule an appointment Appointment@reachinstitute.org
To receive information about Training Opportunities for Professionals Training@reachinstitute.org
To receive information about REACH’s Global OutREACH Program Globaloutreach@reachinstitute.org
or please contact us at:
The REACH Family Institute
P.O. Box 3507
Ashland, OR 97520
USA
Tel.541-488-3700
FAX 541-488-1906
To donate to REACH please
send your check to:
The REACH Family Institute
P.O. Box 3507
Ashland, OR 97520
USA