Judith Bluestone was born with neurodevelopmental challenges and structural irregularities, due to profound prenatal chemical toxicity.
Judith engaged in applied neuroscience instinctively, from the inside out. She was born before labels for her condition were commonly used and her family allowed her to behave in some unconventional ways. These behaviors allowed her to protect herself from her greatest vulnerabilities, to achieve, and to succeed.
For example, what is now called echolalia was expressed in Judith’s attempts to commit to memory the shape of her mouth, and the positions that her lips and tongue must be in to produce a particular word or sound. For Judith and her family, echolalia was not considered a maladaptive behavior, to be extinguished. As a result, ultimately, it was a behavior that led to improved self-expression.
Then Judith approached neurodevelopment from the outside in, with over 12 years of extensive study in neuroscience, neuropsychology, neuro-rehabilitation. human development, visual processing, sensory-motor integration, education, counseling and more.
The HANDLE Approach grew out of all this experience. In 1994 Judith founded the HANDLE Institute, now a non-profit corporation with headquarters in Seattle, Washington.
Some of Judith’s achievements during nearly 40 years of professional work include: