Dr Brazelton’s Touchpoints

I am a big fan of Dr T Berry Brazelton and his Touchpoints philosophy. As a fellow pediatrician I have had similar feelings as Dr Brazelton with regards to the changes that have taken place in our medical system. As physicians, we have all experienced changes in the way we practice medicine in the last couple of decades.

I like the short video embedded below which details the Touchpoints philosophy. Dr Brazelton and the other providers on the video stress the importance of parents as partners in the process which I whole-heartedly agree with. As parents, you are by far the most influential people in your children’s lives so it makes sense to support your role with as much encouragement and knowledge we can give you.

The common scenario where a child is about to make developmental gains often brings with it some regression in other areas. I have seen this time and again in my practice, and Dr Brazelton reinforces the need for balance and understanding while this is happening. Once you as parents realize this is part of the overall process it can really take the pressure off of you and provide an opportunity for growth and understanding for all members of your family.

The team approach discussed in the video includes all those involved in your child’s development, not just the parents and the doctor. This is also very much in line with my way of thinking and I would add that the decision of who is included in this partnership should be up to the family and their practitioners, not any outside agencies (like insurance companies).

Finally, I really like the way Dr Brazelton emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift, wherein we go from looking at failures and problem areas that a child might have (which inevitably leads to diagnoses, tests, medications, etc.) and rather looking at the positive gains the child has made and seeing the good aspects through the child’s own experience.

In my practice I use a framework that is very similar in philosophy with Touchpoints. I highly recommend that you watch this short video now and then explore Dr Brazelton’s Touchpoints site. If you have any comments or questions, use the form below.

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