A Framework Built for the Complexity You're Already Facing

Most training teaches you what to do. The IWBMC™ teaches you why — and that changes everything. Rather than addressing isolated symptoms or layering intervention on top of intervention, you'll learn to evaluate the whole person across neurological, physiological, relational, emotional, and learning variables, and build individualized pathways from what you find. More than 1,500 providers have been trained in this model. The outcomes speak for themselves.

Your First Step Toward Certification

The Foundations Course is an entry point into TJLG's full certification pathway. Completing it makes you eligible to pursue formal IWBMC™ certification — a credential that signals clinical depth, fidelity to the model, and a standard of care families and organizations can trust. One course. A clear path forward.

Built for Providers and the Families Who Need More

Whether you're a therapist, educator, or clinician looking for more resources, or a parent who has become the care coordinator for your child and needs a real framework to work from, this course meets you where you are. You'll leave with practical implementation tools and a methodology you can use immediately.

About The IWBMC™ Foundations Training Course

You know there's more going on than what shows up on paper. The Foundations Course gives you the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care®, the same whole-person framework behind 30 years of outcomes at The Jacob's Ladder Group, so you can start seeing the neurological, physiological, relational, and emotional pieces that isolated interventions miss. This is the entry point into the IWBMC™. Whether you're a parent trying to understand your child, an educator meeting students where they are, or a professional seeking to incorporate IWBMC™ into your practice, Foundations provides the core language and strategies to engage more effectively with the people in your care. 20-25 hours, fully online, ACAP-accredited. Complete it, and you'll hold an IWBMC™ Foundations Certificate, plus a framework you can use the next day, not just a credential for the shelf.

The Jacob's Ladder Group

Amy O'Dell, M.Ed., LPC, founded The Jacob's Ladder Group in 1998 — not just as a clinician, but as a mother. After receiving a life-altering diagnosis for her son Jacob, Amy refused to accept the limitations others placed on him. She built a new path — and then opened it to thousands of others. That path became the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care® (IWBMC™) — a groundbreaking methodology that treats the whole person, not just the diagnosis. It draws from neuroscience, relational care, physiological health, and more than 6,000 individualized program activities to identify the root barriers holding a child back — and build the neurological foundation for real growth. Today, The Jacob's Ladder Group is more than a school. It's a model, a training system, a technology platform, and a research engine — equipping families, professionals, and organizations worldwide to deliver whole-person care that works.

Curriculum

13 Chapters · 165 Lessons

  1. 1

    IWBMC™ Foundations Training Course (2026)

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Course Introduction

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      User Terms and Agreement

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Participant Identity and Eligibility Verification - Part 1

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Participant Identity Verification - Part 2

  2. 2

    Module 1: Introduction and Background of the IWBMC™

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 1: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      What is The Jacob's Ladder Group?

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      The Ladder Program

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      The Hope School Program

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      The Compass Program

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 1 Questionnaire

  3. 3

    Module 2: Populations that the IWBMC™ Serves

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 2: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Who Do We Serve?

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Autism Spectrum Disorder

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Emotional, Behavioral, and Relational Disorders

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Brain Injury

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Genetic Syndromes

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Intellectual and Developmental Delays

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Learning Differences

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 2: Populations the IWBMC™ Serves Quiz

  4. 4

    Module 3: How the IWBMC™ Supports the Populations Served

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 3: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      How the IWBMC™ Supports the Populations Served

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Autism Spectrum Disorder and the IWBMC™

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Emotional, Behavioral, and Relational Disorders and the IWBMC™

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Brain Injury and the IWBMC™

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Genetic Syndromes and the IWBMC™

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Intellectual and Developmental Delays and the IWBMC™

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Learning Differences and the IWBMC™

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 3: How the IWBMC Supports Neurodiverse Populations Quiz

  5. 5

    Module 4: Understanding Brain Based Principles

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 4: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      The Nervous System

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Building from the Foundation Up with the IWBMC™

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Neuroplasticity

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Interhemispheric Communication and Cross-Lateral Movement

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Program Intensity

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 4: Understanding Brain Based Principles Quiz

  6. 6

    Module 5: The Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      The Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Spirit & Will

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Neurodevelopmental

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5: Neurodevelopmental Quiz

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Physiological

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      The Gut-Brain Axis

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Digestion, Absorption, and Elimination

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Diet and Nutrition

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Medications

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Sleep

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Nutritional & Physiological Consultation, Testing, and Treatment

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5: Physiological Quiz

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Learning Style

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Understanding Hemispheric Dominance

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Independence Life Cycle

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5: Learning Style Quiz

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Emotional-Behavioral-Relational

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Impacts of Screen Time

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      Socio-Emotional Readiness Levels

    21. (Included in full purchase)

      Foundational & Intermediate Mind-Body Connection/Self-Referencing Acquisition

    22. (Included in full purchase)

      Zones of Regulation®

    23. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting the day up for success

    24. (Included in full purchase)

      5-Step Process

    25. (Included in full purchase)

      Verbal Directives

    26. (Included in full purchase)

      Higher-Level Self-Referencing

    27. (Included in full purchase)

      Self-Referencing

    28. (Included in full purchase)

      Building a Flexible Mindset

    29. (Included in full purchase)

      Distress Tolerance

    30. (Included in full purchase)

      Decreasing Self-Sabotage

    31. (Included in full purchase)

      Trauma Support Model Approach

    32. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5: Emotional-Behavioral-Relational Quiz

    33. (Included in full purchase)

      Social Structure

    34. (Included in full purchase)

      Integration of the Whole Person

  7. 7

    Module 6: Neurodevelopmental Interventions

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Tactility Channel

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Pressure Receptor Activation

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Hand and Foot Re-Education

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Olfactory Stimulation with Smell Jars

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Romberg

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Manns

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Auditory Channel

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Roll with Segmental Pattern

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Helicopter Spins

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Full Body Figure 8's

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Opposite Toe Touch

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6: Tactility & Auditory Quiz

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Visual Channel

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Visual Tracking Phase I

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Figure 8's on Whiteboard

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Manual Channel

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Fine Motor Phase I

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Hand Strengthening Interventions

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6: Visual & Manual Quiz

    21. (Included in full purchase)

      Language Channel

    22. (Included in full purchase)

      Mirror Facial Expressions

    23. (Included in full purchase)

      Social Questions I and Social Questions II

    24. (Included in full purchase)

      Unguided Tactile Support and Assisted Communication

    25. (Included in full purchase)

      Unguided Tactile Support

    26. (Included in full purchase)

      Unguided Tactile Support Client Videos

    27. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6: Language Quiz

    28. (Included in full purchase)

      Mobility and Cross-Lateral

    29. (Included in full purchase)

      Belly Crawl

    30. (Included in full purchase)

      Creep with Good Box Position

    31. (Included in full purchase)

      Floor Angels

    32. (Included in full purchase)

      Cross March

    33. (Included in full purchase)

      Running Program

    34. (Included in full purchase)

      Opposite Shoulder Tap

    35. (Included in full purchase)

      Lifting and Moving

    36. (Included in full purchase)

      Processing

    37. (Included in full purchase)

      Auditory Sequential Processing

    38. (Included in full purchase)

      Visual Sequential Processing

    39. (Included in full purchase)

      Do This

    40. (Included in full purchase)

      Auditory Number/Letter Sort

    41. (Included in full purchase)

      Visual Number/Letter Sort

    42. (Included in full purchase)

      Intensity Activity

    43. (Included in full purchase)

      Early Reflex Integration

    44. (Included in full purchase)

      Head Nod Up and Down in Creep Position

    45. (Included in full purchase)

      Slow Head Rotations in Creep Position

    46. (Included in full purchase)

      Resisted Crawling Progression

    47. (Included in full purchase)

      Academics

    48. (Included in full purchase)

      Modular Math

    49. (Included in full purchase)

      High-Interest Reading Activity

    50. (Included in full purchase)

      Emotional-Behavioral-Relational Interventions

    51. (Included in full purchase)

      Zones of Regulation® Curriculum

    52. (Included in full purchase)

      5-Step Process Intervention

    53. (Included in full purchase)

      Combat Breathing

    54. (Included in full purchase)

      Mindfulness

    55. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6: Mobility, Processing, Reflexes, & EBR Quiz

  8. 8

    Module 7: Data Tracking

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 7: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      The Importance of Data Tracking and Documentation

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Individualized Weekly Schedule (IWS) in AHAVA

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Data Tracking and Rating Scales

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Program Intensity

  9. 9

    Module 8: Additional Therapeutic Interventions

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 8: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Integrated Listening Systems (iLs)

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Neurotherapy

  10. 10

    Module 9: Personal & Professional Development: Hope. Truth. Love. Training

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 9: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Hope. Truth. Love. Training Overview

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Walking Out the Mission and Vision of Jacob's Ladder

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Walking out the Mission and Vision of JL Questionnaire

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Jacob's Ladder Core Values

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Jacob's Ladder Core Values Questionnaire

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      The Journey Forward

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      The Union of Science and Love

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      History of Jacob's Ladder

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Protecting the Culture

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      The Power of the Tongue

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Jacob's Ladder Leadership Principles

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Courageous Leadership

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Trustworthy Leadership

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Leadership Principles Questionnaire

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      The Power of You

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      HTL Training References

  11. 11

    Module 10: Application of the IWBMC™

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 10: Intended Learning Objectives

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Application of the IWBMC™

  12. 12

    Independent Study

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Independent Study Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Whole Person Revolution: Love is a Neural Highway

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Jacob's Ladder Seminar

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Smart Moves

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Habitudes Book #1: The Art of Self-Leadership

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      The Brain that Changes Itself

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Born for Love

  13. 13

    IWBMC Foundations Training Survey & Feedback

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      IWBMC Foundations Training Survey & Feedback

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Code of Honor

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Code of Honor - Photo Identification

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Code of Honor - Photo Identification Part 2

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      IWBMC Foundations Final Test Overview

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      IWBMC Foundations Final Test

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Assessment Score Confirmation

What People Are Saying

Discover how the IWBMC™ is transforming lives

”
I immediately found myself wishing all of our staff could be trained in this content.
Jennifer Jones, Ph.D.

Founder & CEO of Apparo Academy

Jacob's Ladder has a strong foundation based on scientific knowledge and a mission based on love and hope
Dr. Manju George Elenjickal

Physician in India

”
It was so integrated — every need he had they could address, but they weren't addressing it in a silo. It was an integrated plan.
Hope School Parent

Jacob's Ladder School

Ready to train in IWBMC?

Questions? Call us at 224-HOPE-NOW or visit TheJacobsLadderGroup.org

$1,500.00

Enroll now